Hatch, Tillis introduced bipartisan bill to promote medicinal marijuana research

U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced bipartisan legislation on Monday that would remove barriers to researchers conducting clinical trials on medicinal marijuana.

The Marijuana Effective Drug Studies (MEDS) Act would eliminate redundancies that require researchers to interact with multiple agencies for approval to conduct marijuana research. Researchers would be able to amend and supplement proposals without having to reapply for approval.

Many patients have hopes for the medical benefits of marijuana, Hatch said, but more clinical research is needed to inform policymakers’ decisions about access to marijuana.

“In my home state of Utah, for instance, debates earlier this year on whether to expand access to marijuana for medical purposes highlighted the need for improved scientific research,” Hatch said. “This bill makes targeted changes to the Controlled Substances Act to address specific barriers that encumber medical researchers requesting approval of marijuana research protocols or seeking plant strains for clinical studies. This joint legislative effort between the House and Senate will eliminate redundancies in the regulatory process and enable needed research to better understand the potential medical uses of marijuana.”

Under the bill, a requirement imposed by the DEA that marijuana be stored in bolted safes in clinical settings would be eliminated, and current DEA regulations on the storage of marijuana in locked cabinets would be codified.

“When it comes to our nation’s efforts to cure diseases and improve the quality of life for people suffering from ailments, burdensome government regulations shouldn’t be an impediment to legitimate and responsible medical research,” Tillis said. “The MEDS Act is a commonsense, bipartisan effort to remove unnecessary barriers that will give scientists the ability to study the biochemical processes, impact, dosing, risks and possible benefits of cannabidiol and other components of the marijuana plant.” 

The bill would also direct the DEA to license additional marijuana manufacturers for scientific research and drug development and instruct the agency to establish manufacturing licenses for the commercial production of FDA-approved medical marijuana products.

U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Coons (D-DE) joined Hatch and Tillis in offering the bill.