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. Clearing the House in July and the Senate in November, the Act is aimed at providing federal support to facilitate research of cannabis and its potential health benefits, according to Tobacco Reporter.
Expanding Cannabis Research Opportunities
The Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, signed into law on December 2, 2022, will do three major things:
- Provide a mechanism for the scientific study of cannabidiol and cannabis for medical purposes.
- Arrange a pathway for the FDA to approve the commercial production of drugs containing or derived from cannabis.
- Protect doctors who may now discuss the harms and benefits of using cannabis and cannabis derivatives.
According to The National Law Review, the Act recognizes that research on the impacts of cannabis is necessary — it is now legal for medical use in 39 states and Washington D.C. and adult use in 21 states and D.C. The Act will also enable further studies to be conducted to more fully understand the impacts of cannabis on the human body as well as 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 cannabis use. This report, which must be submitted no later than one year after enactment of the Act, will help inform the medical community, lawmakers, cannabis businesses, and consumers.
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). Biden also issued a mass pardon for Americans who have committed federal marijuana possession cases in October and directed an administrative review into cannabis scheduling. The White House recently listed those actions among the “top accomplishments” for the president.
The Importance of Medical Research
Since marijuana is categorized on Schedule I on the Controlled Substances Act, the same category as heroin, it is classified as having no medical benefit and a high propensity to addiction, according to Politico. Despite this, research that has been conducted in the last decade, along with anecdotes from thousands of patients around the country, suggests that cannabis may have medical usefulness for certain medical conditions.
Because cannabis is a Schedule I substance, however, it is very difficult to research. Scientists need to get approval from multiple agencies to conduct studies, which can sometimes take years. This is why the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act is so crucial for the industry — now we can finally begin to dive deeper into the medicinal benefits of cannabis, which may ultimately help push more policymakers into federally legalizing marijuana.