On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed the Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion Act by unanimous consent. The bill, introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein, would require the Department of Justice to increase the number of researchers allowed to study marijuana and the quantity of marijuana that is produced for research. Currently, it is very difficult for scientists to accurately study the effects of marijuana because only one facility — the University of Mississippi — is legally allowed to grow marijuana for scientific research. With both chambers heavily invested in passing a number of cumbersome pieces of legislation before the end of the year, it remains unclear if the House of representatives will take up the Senate’s bill. It should be noted that last week, the House passed a measure to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. That measure is not expected to be considered in the Senate in the closing days of the 116th Congress.
Click here for the bill text, here for a one-page summary of the bill’s provisions, and here for a list of organizations that have endorsed the bill.
