Sophia Espinola
- Sep 13, 2020
- 2 min read

U.S. House of Representatives Vote To Allow State-Legal Cannabis Use For Researchers

House Energy and Commerce Committee approved substitute version of The Marijuana Research Act of 2019 — House Committee Approved Substitute Version Of The Marijuana Research Act of 2019 | Stock Image

The House Energy & Commerce Committee had a voice vote Sept. 9, 2020 that lead to the approval of a substitute version of The Marijuana Research Act of 2019 (H.R. 3797) sponsored by Oregon Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer. The new language of the revised bill simplifies the process to federally approve applicants for cannabis cultivation. The approved bill permits researchers to use cannabis and marijuana products manufactured in accordance with programs legal under state regulatory laws.

The current federal statute permits FDA approved research of cannabis and marijuana products produced and cultivated by a limited number of federally licensed producers. However, the quality of product samples provided for research fell short of the quality of products available commercially in legal states. This made it difficult to gather actionable insights from research, due to the difference in sample quality currently available in the market. Different effects in consumption over short and long term, play a large factor in research. The difference in products available to researchers vs the ones available to the general population; causes uncertainty in the data acquired from research. Ultimately hindering The research process used in determining the safety of products used in commerce.

"Removing Barriers To Medical Cannabis Research"

In light of the recent house vote, Democratic Rep. and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Earl Blumenauer stated to press that he believes the approval of this bill marks "an important step in removing unnecessary barriers to medical cannabis research and ensuring that patients, clinicians, and consumers can fully understand the benefits and risks of cannabis."

Now that the The Marijuana Research Act of 2019 (H.R. 3797) has been approved by The House Energy & Commerce Committee, the measure will have to be approved by a full House vote. If the measure is approved by a full house vote, it will then have to be passed by the senate and officially signed by the president of the United States. A scheduled vote by the full House body has not yet been scheduled, but will surely be done in a timely manner by Democratic House leaders.