Given the large gap in research during the War on Drugs era, many cannabis studies today reference that more research is required to fully understand how cannabis interacts with our bodies and can work to relieve symptoms.
Now, a new congressional bill is looking to boost cannabis research funding for universities. If passed, it would provide $150 million in funding over a five-year period, allowing universities to obtain cannabis for research through partnerships with state regulatory agencies and law enforcement.
Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV) and Joe Neguse (D-CO) introduce the legislation, titled the Higher Education Marijuana Research Act, on June 5.
“The legal, responsible use of cannabis has been a major economic driver in Nevada and across the country and deserves further research,” Titus said in a press release on Tuesday. “Most of that research will come from academia, where right now too many universities and researchers do not have robust protections for even possessing what they are researching.”
Citing her former role as a professor, Titus said she was introducing the “commonsense legislation” to support the work of university researchers and “help us all learn more about the effects and potential uses of cannabis.”
The bill would add universities and public entities to the list of cannabis manufacturer applicants the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prioritize for research purposes. It would also require yearly reports to Congress on the status of those applicants, along with any reasons for denials.
Additionally, it would allow universities located in legal states to obtain or purchase cannabis from a state or tribal government cannabis regulatory body. Generally, regulators aren’t involved in obtaining cannabis from licensed retailers, though the bill’s language would give states more flexibility to create new policies, for cannabis to be available through government bodies for the same purposes.
The bill would allow universities to then use procured products for a variety of research purposes, including to “study the type of marijuana in a State’s marketplace, public health considerations of marijuana policies in the State, and any potential medical benefits of marijuana.”
However, cannabis provided through partnerships with law enforcement would be ineligible for use in human clinical trials, likely due to contamination concerns around unregulated products.
The legislation would also ensure that students and researchers qualified to conduct and participate in cannabis research would not lose eligibility for federal funding, student financial aid or face immigration penalties. Universities would also enjoy protections, protecting from funding loss related to the authorized research.
Should lawmakers choose to pass the bill, the DEA would need to establish an Office of University Relations within 90 days. It would be required to provide technical assistance to researchers or institutions of higher education seeking registration for the “manufacturer, distribution and dispensation of a controlled substance.” It would also be required to develop the necessary technology to provide researchers and higher education institutions to amend applications prior to submission.
Within 180 days of enactment, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would also need to create a working group in charge of making recommendations for streamlining and simplifying the registration process for universities looking to manufacture cannabis for research purposes. The group would be required to consist of two representatives each from the NIH, the Food and Drug Administration, DEA and universities with experience studying cannabis.
The group would need to submit a report with findings and recommendations to applicable congressional committees within a year.
The NIH would have 90 days from enactment to establish a program within the National Institute on Drug Abuse to provide grant funding to universities surrounding the potential benefits of medical cannabis. The bill authorizes the appropriation of $15 million for the grants through fiscal years 2023-2027.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture would also need to create a separate grant program for universities to study cannabis for agricultural purposes, “including conservation and growth techniques, impacts on other crops, and the impact of different strains of marijuana on other crops.” The legislation also authorizes the appropriation of $15 million through fiscal years 2023-2027 for this program.
Lastly, the measure deems that international treaties prohibiting cannabis “shall not be construed to prohibit, or impose additional restrictions upon, research involving marijuana, or the manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of marijuana, that is conducted in accordance with the Controlled Substances Act.”
“We know very little about cannabis because of regulatory red tape at the federal level that ties scientists’ hands, even for those in states where cannabis is legal for adult use,” said Dr. Jennifer Pearson, a chair on the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board Health Advisory Committee and associate professor at Nevada Reno School of Public Health.
“The Higher Education Marijuana Research Act of 2023 is a game changer,” she added. “The passage of this bill will remove roadblocks and encourage the development of a cannabis research workforce that will benefit medicine and public health.”
