A bill co-authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) to expand research into marijuana-derived medications was recently signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will facilitate research on marijuana and its potential health benefits by streamlining the application process for scientific marijuana studies and removing barriers that slow the research process.
“The medical community agrees that we need more research to learn about marijuana’s potential health benefits,” Schatz said in a press release from his office. “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.”
Cannabis containing more than 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly known as THC) is currently classified as a Schedule I drug and subject to stringent regulations that have impeded progress, the release said. The new law will reduce regulatory barriers associated with conducting research on marijuana and require the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health to submit a report to Congress on the potential harms and benefits of marijuana use.
Long-time veteran Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) served as co-authors of the legislation, and it was co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).