Kaine Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Marijuana Research Bill
The bill now heads to the President to be signed into law
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine applauded the unanimous Senate passage of bipartisan legislation he cosponsored to expand research into marijuana-derived medications. The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will streamline the application process for scientific marijuana studies and remove existing barriers for researchers that frequently slow the research process. The bill passed the House of Representatives in July and now heads to President Biden to be signed into law.
“This bipartisan bill is going to remove unnecessary barriers that hinder researchers’ ability to study the potential benefits of marijuana-derived medications,” said Senator Kaine. “I’m glad it unanimously passed the Senate and is heading to the President to be signed into law.”
Cannabis containing more than 0.3 percent delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly known as THC) is currently classified as a Schedule I drug. As a result, medical research is subject to stringent regulations that have impeded progress. 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.
Specifically, the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will:
- Ensure that research on CBD and other potentially beneficial marijuana-derived substances is based on sound science while also reducing 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.
The legislation was led by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI). It was also cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
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