President Joe Biden recently signed into law the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (H.R. 8454), which expands research into marijuana-derived medications.
H.R. 8454, authored by Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Dave Joyce (R-OH), and Brian Mast (R-FL), establishes a registration process for conducting research on marijuana and for manufacturing marijuana products for research purposes and drug development.
“For decades, the federal government has stood in the way of science and progress—peddling a misguided and discriminatory approach to cannabis,” the legislators noted. “The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will make it easier to study the impacts and potential of cannabis. Research 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.”
U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) co-sponsored the measure in the Senate with eight colleagues. The legislation’s goal is to ensure research on CBD and other potentially beneficial marijuana-derived substances is based on sound science while reducing regulatory barriers associated with conducting research on marijuana.
“The medical community agrees that we need more research to learn about marijuana’s potential health benefits,” Schatz said. “Our 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.”
Under the new law, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health will be required to submit a report to Congress regarding the potential harms and benefits of marijuana use.