Medical Cannabis Research Progress

The legal cannabis industry has been burdened by political agendas and out-of-date regulation, but that is starting to change. Medical marijuana use has grown in spite of limited research, physician endorsements, and lack of insurance coverage. Because cannabis currently remains on Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances List, research facilities have not only been wary to perform studies, but there has also been limited supply of government approved cannabis for testing. Only one university has been allowed to grow research-grade cannabis, but that may be about to change.

The Medical Cannabis Research Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at investigating medicinal benefits of marijuana, was approved by the House Judiciary Committee. Here’s a sample from the Press Release…

Specifically, the Medical Cannabis Research Act increases the number of federally-approved manufacturers of research-grade marijuana from one to three, and would set strict criteria for those manufacturers to obtain and renew their registrations. Currently, only the University of Mississippi is permitted to grow research-grade marijuana.

The legislation also makes clear under the law that Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers are allowed to provide information about federally-approved cannabis clinical trials to their veteran patients. By providing both a sufficient supply of research-grade product and a sufficient supply of people to participate, this bill will help produce scientific data about whether or not the chemicals in marijuana can be medically helpful.

Read Full Press Release Here: https://judiciary.house.gov/press-release/judiciary-committee-approves-bipartisan-bill-to-improve-medical-marijuana-research/

Additional facilities will allow more testing to be done. Another key point is in regards to Veterans. Currently, many states allow a medical marijuana prescription for veterans suffering from PTSD. However, again, given conflicting federal and state legalization laws, the VA have not been able to allow such prescriptions. The Medical Cannabis Research Act allows for more scientific data to be collected regarding possible benefits, which could lead to changes in future laws.

Read the VA’s policies regarding marijuana: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/marijuana.asp

Sources:

House of Representatives Judiciary Committee website – link above

U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs – link above