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Federal Bill Passes to Allow More U.S.-Based Marijuana Research

Congress Marijuana

On Sept 13, the House Judiciary Committee received the Medical Cannabis Research Act favorably, sending it to the House floor for a vote where the bill passed.

This legislation, the first cannabis-related legislation considered by a Republican-led Judiciary Committee in history, makes it easier for researchers to study medical cannabis, and understand its potential uses, benefits, and risks, by allowing more cannabis to be grown in the U.S. for research purposes.

The bill, in part, states that it will “increase the number of manufacturers registered under the Controlled Substances Act to manufacture cannabis for legitimate research purposes, to authorize health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide recommendations to veterans regarding participation in federally-approved cannabis clinical trials, and for other purposes.”

Currently, cannabis research is stymied by laws that unfairly prevent many of America’s great research institutions from studying cannabis, despite its promise as a treatment for nausea, epilepsy, muscular sclerosis, and a host of other conditions. By giving research institutions “safe harbor” — keeping them safe from legal retribution — the Medical Cannabis Research Act will greatly assist American researchers in unlocking cures that cannabis may provide.

“For too long, Congress has faced a dilemma with cannabis-related legislation: we cannot reform cannabis law without researching its safety, its efficacy, and its medical uses — but we cannot perform this critical research without first reforming cannabis law,” said Rep. Gaetz. “The Medical Cannabis Research Act helps break that logjam, allowing researchers to study medical cannabis without fear of legal jeopardy… This vote will help unlock American innovation and discovery, and help researchers bring the cures of the future a little closer to reality.”