![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-11.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
President Joe Biden has officially signed a marijuana research bill into law, making history by enacting the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform legislation in U.S. history.<\/p>\n
The bill cleared the House in April<\/a> and the Senate last month<\/a>, and a White House spokesperson confirmed to Marijuana Moment that the president intended to sign it<\/a>. On Friday, he did just that.<\/p>\n The law gives the U.S. attorney general 60 days to either approve a given application or request supplemental information from the marijuana research applicant. It also creates a more efficient pathway for researchers who request larger quantities of cannabis.<\/p>\n The president remains opposed to federal cannabis legalization, but he campaigned on a number of more modest marijuana reforms, including promoting research, decriminalization and rescheduling cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).<\/p>\n Biden also issued a mass pardon for Americans who\u2019ve committed federal marijuana possession cases in October and directed an administrative review into cannabis scheduling. The White House recently listed those actions among the \u201ctop accomplishments\u201d for the president<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Andy Harris (R-MD) sponsored the House version of the research legislation, which is substantively identical to a Senate bill from Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)\u00a0that previously cleared that chamber<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you to Representatives Blumenauer, Harris, Griffith, Joyce, Mace, and Perlmutter, Delegate Norton, and Senators Feinstein, Grassley, Schatz, Durbin, Klobuchar, Tillis, Kaine, Ernst, Tester, and Murkowski for their leadership,\u201d the president said<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n The four co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus\u2014Blumenauer and Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Brian Mast (R-FL)\u2014released a joint statement following the president\u2019s signing.<\/p>\n \u201cFor decades, the federal government has stood in the way of science and progress\u2014peddling a misguided and discriminatory approach to cannabis. Today marks a monumental step in remedying our federal cannabis laws,\u201d they said. \u201cThe Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will make it easier to study the impacts and potential of cannabis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cResearch is foundational for the path forward on cannabis policy. Research is essential to better understand the therapeutic benefits of cannabis that have the potential to help millions of Americans struggling with chronic pain, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, anxiety disorders and more.<\/p>\n We celebrate the enactment of this critical and long-overdue legislation, and we know there is much more to do to remedy the ongoing harms of the failed war on drugs. Our caucus will continue working to reimagine the federal government\u2019s approach to cannabis and enact further reforms. In the coming weeks, we are committed to passing subsequent bipartisan, common-sense proposals like the SAFE Banking package, the Veterans Equal Access Act, the PREPARE Act, and the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act.\u201d<\/p>\n Feinstein said in a tweet that she\u2019s \u201cpleased President Biden has signed into law our legislation to cut red tape around the marijuana research process.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfter years of negotiation, we\u2019re finally enacting this bill that will result in critical research that could help millions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n I\u2019m very pleased President Biden has signed into law our legislation to cut red tape around the marijuana research process. After years of negotiation, we\u2019re finally enacting this bill that will result in critical research that could help millions.https:\/\/t.co\/c7pscvKNT9<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) December 2, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n In a press release, Schatz said that \u201cthe medical community agrees that we need more research to learn about marijuana\u2019s potential health benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur new law will remove 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 Blumenauer and Harris previously championed a\u00a0separate cannabis research bill that advanced through their chamber<\/a> in April. Unlike that legislation, however, the newly approved bill 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 The research legislation<\/a> further encourages the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop cannabis-derived medicines. One way it proposes 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) is now mandated to approve applications to be manufacturers of marijuana-derived, FDA-approved drugs under the bill. Manufacturers will also be allowed to import cannabis materials to facilitate research into the plant\u2019s therapeutic potential.<\/p>\n Another section requires 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 Congressional Budget Office (CBO)\u00a0analysis<\/a>\u00a0published in July 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 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 won\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 will 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 \u2014 Both the House and Senate\u00a0passed 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 published\u00a0a solicitation for applications from those authorized growers<\/a>\u00a0as it looks for new contractors to supply the agency with cannabis for research purposes.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, large-scale infrastructure legislation that was signed by Biden last year 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 Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) sought an update this week on\u00a0the status of a federal report into research barriers<\/a>\u00a0that are inhibiting the development of a standardized test for marijuana impairment on the roads, as required under that infrastructure legislation.<\/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 Also, last month, congressional lawmakers\u00a0held a hearing<\/a>\u00a0to discuss federal marijuana legalization and state cannabis developments, hearing testimony from\u00a0a panel of broadly pro-reform advocates<\/a>.<\/p>\n The chairman of the subcommittee that held that hearing also said on Tuesday that\u00a0he will soon be introducing a bill<\/a>\u00a0aimed at protecting federal workers from being denied security clearances over marijuana.<\/p>\n Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV)\u00a0filed a bill last month that would allow<\/a>\u00a0state-legal marijuana businesses to access certain federal Small Business Administration (SBA) loans and services that are available to companies in any other industry.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump\u00a0announced his candidacy for the 2024 president election<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n In a speech announcing his candidacy, Trump signaled that drug policy will be a focal point of his campaign\u2014but not by advocating for reform. He talked about waging \u201cwar on the cartels\u201d and working with Congress to pass legislation to impose the death penalty on \u201cdrug dealers\u201d who are \u201cresponsible for death, carnage and crime.\u201d<\/p>\n Biden\u2019s Health Secretary Gives Update On Marijuana Scheduling Review Directed By The President<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post Biden Signs Marijuana Research Bill, A Historic First For Federal Cannabis Reform<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
President Joe Biden has officially signed a marijuana research bill into law, making history by enacting the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform legislation in U.S. history. The bill cleared the House in April and the Senate last month, and a White House spokesperson confirmed to Marijuana Moment thatContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":58865,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58864"}],"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=58864"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58866,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58864\/revisions\/58866"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\nMarijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.<\/strong>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-10.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/a>
\nLearn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nRead More: Biden Signs Marijuana Research Bill, A Historic First For Federal Cannabis Reform<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"