Marijuana Research Act would give scientists access to pharmacy products

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers tabled a bill on Thursday to remove barriers to conducting marijuana research. The bill will give scientists access to cannabis from state pharmacies.

The Medical Marijuana Research Act submitted by Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR] and Rep. Andy Harris [R-MD] would simplify the process by which researchers apply for licensing to research cannabis, and it would impose deadlines on federal agencies to consider applications in a timely manner.

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“This legislation would remove barriers to cannabis research and facilitate access to an increased supply of high-quality, medical-grade cannabis for research purposes,” said Blumenauer.

RELATED: Secret Memo Reveals Trump Administration Blocked Marijuana Research For Years

“Congress is hopelessly behind the American people on cannabis, and the quality of our research shows why this is an urgent problem,” Blumenauer told Marijuana Moment. “Despite the fact that 99 percent of Americans live in a state that has legalized some form of cannabis, federal law still limits researchers’ ability to study the full range of health benefits of cannabis and more about those readily available Products to learn. “To consumers.”

Scientists jump through the hoops

“Since cannabis is a List I substance, researchers have to jump through the tires and meet strict requirements just to do basic research on the medicinal potential of the plant,” said Blumenauer on Thursday in the house.

The Medical Marijuana Research Act amends the Controlled Substances Act to include a new, separate registration process, specially for marijuana.

RELATED: House Approves Bill To Improve Medical Marijuana Research

Blumenauer explained what the bill would do:

• Streamline the often duplicate licensing process for researchers looking to do cannabis research;
• Facilitating access to increased supplies of higher quality medical cannabis for research purposes;
• Ensure that research on cannabis and other potentially beneficial marijuana-derived substances is based on solid scientific evidence;
• Reduce the regulatory barriers associated with marijuana research.

Legislation requires the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to license outside the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to ensure that there is an adequate supply of cannabis products for the investigation.

representative Debbie Dingell [D-MI], Steve Cohen [D-TN] Morgan H. Griffith [R-VA], Barbara Lee [D-CA], and Ed case [D-HI-1], co-sponsored the bill.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.