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The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bipartisan marijuana research bill on Tuesday, with the Senate expected to follow suit in the coming days\u2014an action that will make the legislation the first standalone cannabis reform proposal to ever reach the president\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n
The \u201cMedical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\u201d<\/a> was considered on the House floor under a procedure known as suspension of the rules, which is generally reserved for non-controversial measures and means no amendments were allowed and debate was limited. The process requires a supermajority of two-thirds support to pass a bill.<\/p>\n Members approved the legislation, sponsored by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Andy Harris (R-MD), in a vote of 325-95.<\/p>\n Several bipartisan lawmakers spoke in favor of the measure ahead of the vote, and none rose to oppose it. But while all 216 Democrats who were present for the vote<\/a> supported the measure, Republicans were roughly divided\u2014with 109 in favor and 95 against.<\/p>\n \u201cThis bill makes it easier to do the necessary, rigorous medical research\u2014just like is done for any other drug that has a claim of efficacy in this country,\u201d Harris, who opposes legalization but favors expanded studies, said on the floor. \u201cThe American public deserves to know what medical marijuana is useful for because, for anyone with those conditions where it is found to be useful, it could be a godsend\u2014but for other conditions where the claims won\u2019t be found to be valid with rigorous research, it would be found to be ineffective.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat would help protect American patients as well,\u201d he said. \u201cThis would modernize our research methods, bringing medical marijuana up to the scientific standards we use for every other type of medication that is sold as a drug in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n Blumenauer, who wasn\u2019t present on the floor during Tuesday\u2019s debate or vote, said in a press release that \u201cresearch is a foundational element for cannabis policy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt a time when there are four million registered medical marijuana patients and many more likely to self-medicate, it is crucial that researchers are able to fully study the health benefits of cannabis,\u201d the congressman, who is a cochair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said. \u201cFor too long, the federal government has stood in the way of science and progress, creating barriers for researchers obtaining resources and approval to study cannabis. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation is an important first step to changing that.\u201d<\/p>\n House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said on the floor that the legislation \u201cbrings us to a historic, overdue moment for Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of its status as a Schedule I substance, research on marijuana has been regulated in a restrictive, time consuming way\u2014and the existing research is not representative of the products that are currently available to many Americans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) echoed that point, stating that the legislation is \u201ccritical to better understand the potential benefits and possible risk associated with marijuana uses.\u201d<\/p>\n The House is beginning up to 40 mins of debate on H.R. 8454 \u2013 Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (Sponsored by @repblumenauer<\/a> \/ Energy and Commerce Committee).<\/p>\n \u2014 House Press Gallery (@HouseDailyPress) July 26, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n While the bill would make a relatively incremental change, with the main intent being to streamline the process for researchers to study cannabis, its introduction last week and quick consideration in the House indicates that the stage is set to deliver the reform to President Joe Biden swiftly.<\/p>\n The measure is nearly identical to a Senate bill from Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)<\/a> that previously cleared that chamber. It\u2019s not clear when the new version will go to a vote in that chamber, but a congressional source familiar with the planning told Marijuana Moment last week that the Senate is expect to \u201cmove quickly\u201d on the proposal.<\/p>\n It\u2019s difficult to imagine that the measure would face significant pushback given its limited scope and focus on simply expediting the application process for researchers who want to study the risks and benefits of cannabis and its constituents.<\/p>\n House sponsors Blumenauer and Harris, meanwhile, championed a separate cannabis research bill that cleared their chamber<\/a> in April. Unlike that legislation, however, the newly revised bill that now appears poised to be enacted into federal law notably does not include a provision that scientists had welcomed that would have allowed researchers to access cannabis from state-legal dispensaries to study.<\/p>\n \u2014 Under the legislation<\/a>, the U.S. attorney general would be given a 60-day deadline to either approve a given application or request supplemental information from the marijuana research applicant. It would also create a more efficient pathway for researchers who request larger quantities of cannabis.<\/p>\n Further, the bill would encourage the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop cannabis-derived medicines. One way it proposed doing so is by allowing accredited medical and osteopathic schools, practitioners, research institutions, and manufacturers with a Schedule I registration to cultivate their own cannabis for research purposes.<\/p>\n The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would get a mandate to approve applications to be manufacturers of marijuana-derived, FDA-approved drugs under the bill. Manufacturers would also be allowed to import cannabis materials to facilitate research into the plant\u2019s therapeutic potential.<\/p>\n Another section would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to look at the health benefits and risks of marijuana as well as policies that are inhibiting research into cannabis that\u2019s grown in legal states and provide recommendations on overcoming those barriers.<\/p>\n The bill further states that it \u201cshall not be a violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) for a State-licensed physician to discuss\u201d the risk and benefits of marijuana and cannabis-derived products with patients.<\/p>\n A new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis<\/a> published on Monday found that the proposal would reduce direct spending by less than $500,000 and would have a \u201cnegligible net change in the deficit.\u201d<\/p>\n The bill\u2019s Senate sponsors praised the House\u2019s action.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter years of effort, the House took a major step today in passing our legislation to make it easier for researchers to study how marijuana-derived medications can best treat various conditions,\u201d Feinstein said. \u201cThe bill will help get safe, FDA-approved, marijuana-derived medications safely to patients in need. I am confident that the Senate will quickly pass this amended version of the bill and send it to President Biden for his signature.\u201d<\/p>\n Grassley said that the measure is \u201ccritical to better understanding the marijuana plant and its potential benefits and hazards.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt will empower the FDA to analyze CBD and medical marijuana products in a safe and responsible way so that the American public can decide whether to utilize them in the future based on sound scientific data,\u201d he said. \u201cResearching marijuana is widely supported on both sides of the aisle, and it\u2019s a smart step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Schatz added that\u00a0\u201cthe medical community agrees that we need more research to learn about marijuana\u2019s potential health benefits, but our federal laws today are standing in the way of us finding those answers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are now one step closer to removing excessive barriers that make it difficult for researchers to study the effectiveness and safety of marijuana, and hopefully, give patients more treatment options,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n There are only a few changes in this new bill compared to the original version the Senate passed earlier this year.<\/p>\n For example, the text now says that researchers don\u2019t need to notify or receive a review from DEA if change study protocols, as long as they already have a Schedule I registration. The previous language said broadly that researchers wouldn\u2019t need to reapply for approval. Also, the new version makes more explicit references to cannabis in the text, rather than \u201cdrug\u201d generally.<\/p>\n Another revision deals with a section that mandates the attorney general to conduct an annual review of the supply of cannabis that\u2019s available for research purposes. The new bill says DOJ must carry out that review in consultation with HHS, and says that the latter department would need to submit a report to Congress if it determines that the supply is inadequate.<\/p>\n Finally, a section of the original bill concerning the importation of CBD for research purposes was removed from the new measure.<\/p>\n Both the House and Senate passed earlier versions<\/a>\u00a0of their\u00a0separate but similar cannabis research bills<\/a>\u00a0in late 2020, but nothing ended up getting to then-President Donald Trump\u2019s desk by the end of the last Congress.<\/p>\n Congressional researchers separately released a report in March that\u00a0details the challenges posed by ongoing federal prohibition<\/a>\u00a0and the options that lawmakers have available to address them.<\/p>\n DEA has taken steps in recent years to\u00a0approve new cultivators of marijuana to be used in studies<\/a>, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recently announced that it will be accepting applications from those authorized growers for one new contractor to\u00a0supply the agency with cannabis for research purposes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, large-scale infrastructure legislation that was signed by Biden in November contains provisions aimed at\u00a0allowing researchers to study the actual marijuana that consumers are purchasing<\/a>\u00a0from state-legal businesses instead of having to use only government-grown cannabis.<\/p>\n NIDA Director Nora Volkow told Marijuana Moment last year that scientists have been\u00a0unnecessarily limited in the source of cannabis<\/a>\u00a0they\u2019re permitted to study\u2014and it makes sense to enact a policy change that expands their access to products available in state-legal markets.<\/p>\n House Appropriations Committee leaders recently introduced\u00a0a report on Fiscal Year 2023 spending legislation<\/a>\u00a0that says while they appreciate that NIDA has submitted documentation outlining the research implications of the strict scheduling of certain substances, there are still challenges such as the fact that scientists are still not able to access cannabis from dispensaries.<\/p>\n The report also talks about the need to develop \u201can objective standard to measure marijuana impairment to ensure highway safety.\u201d And it further emphasizes that part of the solution means freeing up researchers to obtain cannabis products from state-legal retailers that reflect \u201cthe diversity, quality, and potency of products commonly available to patients or consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n The committee additionally argued that funding for marijuana research has not kept pace with the spread of the state-level legalization movement, and it encouraged the National Institutes on Health (NIH) to support increased studies into potential therapeutic applications of cannabis and its constituents.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the new bipartisan, bicameral bill that\u2019s moving to the floor was filed on the same day that a long-awaited\u00a0Senate marijuana legalization bill was finally filed<\/a>\u2014more than a year after a draft version was first released by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and fellow sponsors.<\/p>\n While the prospects of that wide-ranging legislation making it through the Senate with a 60-vote threshold are dubious, an already-passed bipartisan cannabis research proposal that\u2019s even being sponsored by a prohibitionist like Harris seems like a comparably simple, albeit incremental, reform that stands a solid chance of being enacted if there are no procedural hiccups along the way.<\/p>\n President Joe Biden might be against adult-use legalization, but he campaigned on other incremental reforms like decriminalization, rescheduling and letting states set their own cannabis policies. He\u2019s expressed interest in the medical potential of marijuana and has advocated for more research, so it\u2019s likely that he would sign the bipartisan bill if it\u2019s ultimately sent to his desk.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a key Senate Judiciary subcommittee also held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss next steps for federal cannabis reform<\/a>. The panel is chaired by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), who is one of the three prime sponsors on the newly filed legalization bill.<\/p>\n Senator Files Bill To Allow Marijuana Advertising On TV And Radio In Legal States<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post House Passes Bipartisan Marijuana Research Bill, With Senate Expected To Send It To President Soon<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bipartisan marijuana research bill on Tuesday, with the Senate expected to follow suit in the coming days\u2014an action that will make the legislation the first standalone cannabis reform proposal to ever reach the president\u2019s desk. The \u201cMedical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\u201dContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":56133,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56132"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56132"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56134,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56132\/revisions\/56134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n\n<\/div>\n\n
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\nRead More: House Passes Bipartisan Marijuana Research Bill, With Senate Expected To Send It To President Soon<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"