WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) reintroduced the
Cannabidiol
and Marijuana Research Expansion Act, a bill to encourage scientific
and medical research on marijuana and its compounds including cannabidiol, or
CBD.
“I’ve been a strong supporter of this
legislation since it was first introduced in 2016. During my time in the
Senate, I’ve heard directly from constituents who want safe and effective
treatment options for their families, which could include options derived from
the marijuana plant.” Grassley said. “This bipartisan bill is critical
to better understanding the marijuana plant and its potential benefits and
negative side effects. It will empower the FDA to analyze CBD and medical
marijuana products in a safe and responsible way so that the American public
can decide whether to utilize them in the future based on sound scientific
data. This is a smart step forward in addressing this current schedule I drug.”
“Because of restrictive regulations, we
still do not understand exactly how medical marijuana can be used to safely
treat a variety of conditions where it may be far more useful than current
treatments,” Feinstein said. “This
bill, which passed the Senate unanimously last year, would streamline the
research process to allow FDA-approved marijuana-derived medications to be used
to treat serious medical conditions. Millions may ultimately benefit from a
new, safe treatment for conditions like intractable epilepsy once this bill
becomes law.”
“The medical community agrees that we need
more research to learn about marijuana’s potential health benefits, but our
federal laws today are standing in the way of that inquiry,” Schatz said. “Our
bill 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.”
Identical legislation introduced by Grassley,
Feinstein and Schatz during the 116th Congress
passed
the Senate unanimously.
This legislation is also cosponsored by
Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tim
Kaine (D-Va.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Background:
·
Currently, both marijuana and CBD
containing more than 0.3 percent delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly known
as THC) are classified as Schedule I drugs. As a result, research is subject to
stringent regulations that can pose an obstacle to medical research.
·
CBD is largely unregulated. But
thousands of parents nationwide have used CBD oil to help their children who
suffer from intractable epilepsy.
·
The bill requires HHS and NIH to
submit a report to Congress within a year of the bills enactment into law on
the potential harms and benefits of marijuana use.
·
Few marijuana-derived products have
been FDA-approved, and there is little available information about their
interactions with other medications, appropriate doses or delivery mechanisms.
·
The goal of the Cannabidiol
and Marijuana Research Expansion Act is to ensure that research on CBD
and other potentially beneficial marijuana-derived substances is based on sound
science while simultaneously reducing the regulatory barriers associated with
conducting research on marijuana.
Full text of the bill is available
HERE,
a
list of organizations that have endorsed this bill is available
HERE
and a one-page summary of the bill’s provisions is available
HERE.