Representative Andy Harris, a Republican from Maryland, and Earl Blumenowar, a Democrat from Oregon, agree on issues rarely related to cannabis legalization. Harris opposes it for recreational use and thinks that as a drug, it should be shortened again. Blumenowar is pushing the pot to make it criminal.
But both agree that researchers simply do not have access to more powerful, high-quality weeds and that more growers should be able to raise pots for research.
Their bill, which passed in the House on Monday – after being introduced in several congresses before – will pave the way for producers at a time when more states are looking to criminalize cannabis. The House passed a bill last week to legalize marijuana, although its fate in the Senate is more uncertain.
Currently, researchers at universities and government agencies cannot walk on street corners or in parks to pick up some weeds for their studies because it is still an illegal substance regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. For several years, the DEA stipulated that researchers could only use cannabis from a single government site located at the University of Mississippi.
The university maintains what it calls a “safe land plot,” where marijuana groups grow in collaboration with the National Institute on Drug Abuse. But grown containers there have significantly lower THC levels than are often sold on the street, and since there is only one government-approved producer in the United States, researchers are often hampered by red tape and supply issues.
The Medical Marijuana Research Act of Blumenowar and Harris will allow more producers to apply to qualify as research farmers, increase capacity and access a variety of cannabis researchers. The bill would make it easier for researchers to apply and be approved for pot study, as well as set a deadline for federal agencies to take action on their applications.
It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. Crops must be grown exclusively for their research.
“Although Mr. Blumenowar and I have very different views on what good research will do to inform healthcare providers and policy makers, we have worked together year after year to make this effort a champion – because there is so much mainstream discussion about marijuana, on both sides, Harris said. In a statement to CBS News, he said, “It’s not based on rigorous and reliable empirical data or research, but on fictional evidence.” “I am very hopeful that we will get this law to the finish line so that we can finally cut the red ribbon and encourage quality research into the real-world health effects of cannabis.”
Harris, a physician, opposes recreational marijuana, and he expresses concern about its medical use because he believes the benefits are potentially exaggerated and not necessarily based on science. Blumenauer has been working on the marijuana policy for decades, and believes that the pot can be used to help children with epilepsy, people with PTSD, cancer patients and many more. They may not agree on many things, but both congressmen agree that empirical research is needed to provide more accurate information about the impact of the American pot.
When their team began talking to researchers a few years ago, the researchers raised the same hurdle – the process of registering for weed studies is cumbersome; Supply limited and homogeneous; And logistical problems mean the container can arrive late or in bad shape, sometimes even falling into the mold.
So, for the past several congresses, Harris and Blumenauer have led the charge of passing legislation and reaching out to the president’s desk. This time, they are hopeful it will work. A similar bill was passed in the Senate last month.
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. And then they’re hoping to get legislation at the president’s desk before the end of the current fiscal year.
“Cannabis laws have been violated in this country, which deals with the medical research of cannabis,” Blumenauer said as the bill was passed in the House on Monday. “America’s growing cannabis industry operates without the benefit of a powerful research program. Instead, we are outsourcing research to Israel, the United Kingdom and Canada for our losses. “
“One example of the failure of this policy is our inability to effectively test for marijuana control,” he continued. “Employees are failing drug tests because they are not disabled, but because they have used some form of recreational or medical cannabis in the last month. It is just a symptom of our short-sighted, irrational and destructive policies. I am prepared to work with my friends in the Senate to bridge the gap between this Act and the Senate-passed Cannabidiol and Marijuana Research Expansion Act. ”
