ASAM Endorses the Cannabidiol and Marijuana Research Expansion Act

On June 27, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Cannabidiol and Marijuana Research Expansion Act, which would reduce barriers to the study of cannabis and its compounds, including cannabidiol (CBD), for use in the treatment of medical conditions. ASAM endorsed the bill in a letter from the Friends of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in May. There is a significant lack of research and understanding surrounding the effects of cannabis derived substances on both adolescents and adults. As an organization committed to advocating for the use of evidence-based treatment, ASAM is excited for the increased research into cannabis related substances that this bill would encourage. 

The bill improves interagency efficiency by requiring that the Department of Justice (DoJ) approve applications for Schedule I registration if the researchers’ protocols have been reviewed and approved by other federal science agencies, and adequate security measures exist to prevent abuse and diversion. The bill additionally requires that the process for approving applications for Schedule I registration, as well as the process for approving requests to increase the quantity of a substance being used for an approved research protocol, be expedited. Furthermore, the bill would authorize medical and osteopathic schools, research universities, and pharmaceutical companies to manufacture their own cannabis to conduct research. All of these provisions would greatly improve the medical communities ability to understand the potential treatment benefits, as well as harms, related to cannabis derived substances.

Read the bill text here.

Read the Friends of NIDA letter here.