On November 16, 2022, the U.S. Senate approved the House-passed bipartisan Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (H.R. 8454). The bill creates a separate, streamlined registration process to facilitate research on cannabinoids. Specifically, the bill:
- Permits registered entities to manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD) for medical research purposes;
- Prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from reinstating the interdisciplinary review process for marijuana research;
- Requires HHS to coordinate with the National Institutes of Health and other agencies to report on the therapeutic potential of marijuana and its impact on adolescent brains and the ability to operate motor vehicles;
- Clarifies that physicians do not violate the Controlled Substances Act if they discuss the potential harms and benefits of marijuana and its derivatives with patients; and
- Directs the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to:
- register practitioners to conduct marijuana research and manufacturers to supply marijuana for the research
- register manufacturers and distributors for commercial production of an approved drug that contains marijuana or its derivative
- assess whether there is an adequate and uninterrupted supply of marijuana for research purposes
Read the bill here.
Last Updated on November 30, 2022 by Aimed Alliance
