FDA Hires Contractor To Track Cannabis Conversations On Social Media

FDA Seeks Social Media Monitoring

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking a contractor to monitor social media sites like TikTok, Instagram and Reddit for conversations about marijuana and hemp products, and to conduct a survey of cannabis consumers, among other tasks. The agency said in a request for quotes that it is seeking help to “address knowledge gaps on cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), and emerging products and help inform work on policy and regulation, education and outreach, and compliance activities.” The social media monitoring services will “capture data on products, ingredients, claims, consumer conditions, sentiments, and other attributes,” and FDA wants to be able to filter posts “by age-group, sex, persona, and other attributes…using trained artificial intelligence (AI) modeling, with click-through to verbatim conversation postings.”

Consumer Surveys And Demographics

FDA also wants the contractor to conduct a “US Cannabis Consumer Survey” focused on dispensary shoppers. “The survey will collect data on consumer symptoms and paths to purchase, as well as product preferences, desired effects, medical conditions, occasions, frequency and history of use, average purchases, and preferred dosages,” the posting says.

Contract Timeline And CBD Data

With respect to CBD specifically, the contractor will need to provide data on both the market “including size; top brands; product types, forms, claimed content; and other pertinent market attributes for CBD and emerging non-intoxicating cannabis products, including those that are state regulated” as well as consumers of the products. The contract will cover September 30 of this year through September 29, 2027, FDA said. Quotes are due by Monday.

This contract represents a significant step in the agency’s approach to monitoring the modern cannabis market.

The data collected will help shape future compliance and outreach activities. The process begins with the submission of quotes by the specified deadline. The agency stated in a request for quotes that it is seeking help to “address knowledge gaps on cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), and emerging products and help inform work on policy and regulation, education and outreach, and compliance activities.”

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