Southern University in Louisiana has launched a hemp product line known as ALAFIA, making it the first historically Black university to have its own CBD line.
According to WAFB, the school's agriculture department worked with Ilera Holistic Healthcare to bring CBD to select dispensaries in Louisiana.
Randy Mire, owner of Capitol Wellness Solutions, talked about the historic achievement at a press conference on Thursday.
"For patients who really have diagnosable conditions, this is accessible for them. They can come to one of the non-dispensaries to get this,” Mire said. “It’s still a starting point. After they start a product like this, many of them need medical marijuana and at that point, they would visit with their doctor.”
Chanda Macias, CEO of Ilera Holistic Healthcare, said: "it's a day that Southern University brings health care to the nation."
"After treating thousands of patients, I have seen the medical benefits of CBD," Macias said at the press conference. "We want our products to be embraced by our community, but to also know they are affordable. They are also lab-tested."
According to Forbes, the product is only found in Louisiana at the moment, but it will soon be available for over-the-counter purchase throughout the U.S.
Osagie Imasogie, Ilera Holistic Healthcare chairman, said ALAFIA means "inner peace" in the Yoruba language.
“Our team of experts created a superior hemp-derived product with patients in mind," Imasogie said in a statement. "We are proud of this partnership with Southern [University] and pleased to know our product will be available to the people of Louisiana and beyond.”
ALAFIA is a lab-tested and pesticide-free product that is available with or without THC, WAFB reported. The types of products currently on sale are Isolate CBD and Full Spectrum CBD, ranging in price from $40- $80.
“Our vision has always been patient access and affordability,” Macias said. “It was imperative for us to bring high-quality products that support health and wellness. Patients now have the ability to purchase ALAFIA over the counter without a prescription anywhere it is available.”
Macias said the historic achievement is especially significant at this time because this February will mark the first Black History Month of the new decade.
“We are witnessing history,” she said. “Southern University partnered with us to bring this product line to market, making them the first Historically Black College University (HBCU) to launch a CBD line … When you think of the rich history Southern University holds here in Louisiana, this launch only mirrors the monumental impacts this higher education institution has made in this country."
Macias added that she is proud to be a part of the historic moment as an alum of an HBCU, Howard University.
Southern University’s President Ray L. Belton said the partnership with Ilera has “proven successful from the start."
“This is an exciting time for health care and business here in the state of Louisiana, and Southern is honored to be a part of it all,” Belton said.
According to WAFB, hemp-derived CBD has become legal for sale in all states since the Farm Bill passed in 2018.
