(a) In accordance with section 111(b)(3) of Public Law 102-395 (21 U.S.C. 886a(1)(C)), seeking to recover the full costs of operating the aspects of the diversion control program that are related to issuing registrations that comply with the Controlled Substances Act, the Administration shall assess an administrative fee. To set the administrative fee, the Administration shall annually determine the preceding fiscal year's cost of operating the program to cultivate cannabis and shall divide the prior fiscal year's cost by the number of kgs of cannabis authorized to be manufactured in the current year's quota to arrive at the administrative fee per kg. The administrative fee per kg shall be added to the sale price of cannabis purchased from the Administration. The administrative fee shall be paid to the Diversion Control Fee Account.

(b) As set forth in § 1318.04, the Administration shall have the exclusive right of, among other things, wholesale trading in cannabis that it purchases from registered manufacturers. The Administration will, therefore, buy from such manufacturer, sell cannabis to registered researchers and manufacturers, and establish prices for such purchase and sale. The Administration will set such prices in the following manner:

(1) Bulk growers of cannabis shall negotiate directly with registered researchers and manufacturers authorized to handle cannabis to determine a sale price for their cannabis. Upon entering into a contract for the provision of bulk cannabis and prior to the exchange of cannabis, the parties shall pay to the Administration an administrative fee assessed based on the number of kgs to be supplied. The administrative fee shall not be recoverable in the event that delivery is rejected by the buyer.

(2) The Administration shall sell the cannabis to the buyer at the negotiated sale price plus the administrative fee assessed on a per kg basis. Prior to the purchase of the cannabis by the Administration, the buyer shall pay the negotiated purchase price and administrative fee to the Administration. The Administration shall hold funds equal to the purchase price in escrow until the delivery of the cannabis by the grower to the Administration. The administrative fee shall not be recoverable in the event that delivery is rejected by the buyer.

(3) After receiving the purchase price and administrative fee from the buyer, the Administration shall purchase the cannabis from the grower, on behalf of the buyer, at the negotiated sale price. The Administration shall retain the administrative fee. In the event the buyer fails to pay the purchase price and the administrative fee, the Administration shall have no obligation to purchase the crop and may order the grower to destroy the crop if the grower cannot find an alternative buyer within four months of harvest.

(4) In instances where the grower of the cannabis is the same entity as the buyer of the cannabis, or a related or subsidiary entity, the entity may establish a nominal price for the purchase of the cannabis. The Administration shall then purchase the entity's cannabis at that price and sell the cannabis back to the entity, or a related or subsidiary entity, at the same price with the addition of the administrative fee.

(c) Administrative fees set in accordance with this part will be made available, on an updated basis, on the Administration's website, no later than December 15th of the year preceding the year in which the administrative fee will be collected.

(d) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from continuing to fund the acquisition of cannabis for use in research by paying, directly or indirectly, the purchase cost and administrative fee to the Administration.