House Passes Bill to Expand Cannabis Research Possibilities

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed a measure to expand cannabis research possibilities in a bipartisan 343-75 vote, Marijuana Moment reports.

Sponsored by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a legalization supporter, and Andy Harris (R-MD), a prohibitionist, the Medical Marijuana Research Act seeks to streamline the cannabis research process by removing some barriers for researchers who apply to study cannabis and by letting researchers use cannabis products acquired through state-legal marketplaces for their studies.

“The cannabis laws in this country are broken, including those that deal with the medical research of marijuana. America’s growing cannabis industry operates without the benefit of a robust research program. Instead, we are outsourcing research to Israel, the United Kingdom, and Canada to our detriment.” — Blumenauer, in a press release

Momentum toward federal cannabis reforms appears to be growing as the approval comes just days after the House voted along mostly party lines to pass the MORE Act, which seeks to federally legalize cannabis. The Senate, meanwhile, unanimously passed its own bill last month to expand scientific and medical research on cannabis — advocates hope that the two chambers will be able to consolidate the bills.

The House also passed the SAFE Banking Act, which seeks to normalize banking relationships for state-legal cannabis companies, in March — it was the chamber’s sixth time passing the legislation but the Senate has yet to ever consider the proposal.