**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CANNABINOIDS ARE A GROUP OF TERPENOPHENOLIC COMPOUNDS, SUCH AS CANNABIDIOLIC ACID (CBD), CANNBIGEROLIC ACID (CBG) ET AL, MADE PRIMARILY IN CANNABIS FEMALE FLOWER TRICHOMES. CANNABINOIDS HAVE SIGNIFICANT PHARMACEUTICAL VALUES AND POTENTIAL AS DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE REGULATION OF CANNABINOID BIOSYNTHESIS. CANNABIS SATIVA ALSO PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT MODEL TO STUDY GLANDULAR TRICHOME DEVELOPMENT AND SECONDARY METABOLISM. THERE IS NO PUBLISHED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY STUDY TO DATE ON CANNABIS TRICHOME DEVELOPMENT, AND NO GENES RESPONSIBLE FOR GLANDULAR TRICHOME INITIATION IDENTIFIED IN CANNABIS. THERE IS ALSO NOT MUCH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CONTROL OF CANNABINOID BIOSYNTHETIC GENE EXPRESSION DURING FLOWER DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE INTERESTED IN THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS MEDIATING GLANDULAR TRICHOME DEVELOPMENT AND CANNABINOID BIOSYNTHESIS. WE HAVE RECENTLY IDENTIFIED TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS (TFS) THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GLANDULAR TRICHOME INITIATION AND CANNABINOID BIOSYNTHESIS RESPECTIVELY. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AIMS TO UNDERSTAND HORMONE-MEDIATED TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL OF GLANDULAR TRICHOME DEVELOPMENT AND CANNABINOID BIOSYNTHESIS IN HEMP. THE REGULATORY NETWORK OF TFS INVOLVED IN TRICHOME INITIATION, AND THE TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF CANNABINOID BIOSYNTHETIC GENES BY TFS WILL BE DETERMINED. TRICHOME PHENOTYPES OF TOBACCO PLANTS OVEREXPRESSING THE TFS, AND HEMP OVEREXPRESSING OF SUPPRESSING THE TFS WILL BE INVESTIGATED; CANNABINOID PRODUCTION IN TRANSGENIC HEMP WILL BE DETERMINED. WE ENVISION THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO NOVEL GENETIC TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE CANNABINOID PROFILE, AID HEMP FARMERS WITH THE COMMON PROBLEM OF OVERPRODUCING THC, AND BENEFIT HUMAN HEALTH. THE FINDINGS CAN ALSO BE EXPANDED TO OTHER SPECIES DEVELOPING GLANDULAR TRICHOMES FOR SECONDARY METABOLITE PRODUCTION AND STORAGE.