US President Joe Biden has officially signed a cannabis research bill into law. He thus made history by enacting the first stand-alone federal piece of cannabis reform legislation in the United States.
The bill passed the House of Representatives in July and the Senate last month. A White House spokesperson had confirmed to Marijuana Moment that the president intended to sign him. That’s what he did on Friday.
The United States Attorney General now has 60 days to either approve the request or request additional information before the text becomes law.
Among the many provisions, the text creates a more efficient route for researchers requesting larger quantities of cannabis.
The US president remains opposed to the federal legalization of cannabis, but he has campaigned on a number of smaller reforms around cannabis, including promoting research, decriminalizing and reclassifying cannabis as a controlled substance ( Controlled Substances Act, CSA).
In October, Joe Biden also pardoned Americans en masse for federal cannabis possession offenses and ordered an administrative review of the cannabis classification. The White House recently listed these actions among the president’s “major accomplishments.”
The four co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus — Democrats Earl Blumenauer and Barbara Lee and Republicans Dave Joyce and Brian Mast — released a joint statement after the president signed:
“For decades, the federal government has stood in the way of science and progress with a misguided and discriminatory approach to cannabis. Today marks a monumental step in fixing our federal cannabis laws,” they said. “The Medical Cannabis and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will facilitate the study of the impacts and potential of cannabis.”
“Research is fundamental to determining the way forward in cannabis policy. Research is essential to better understand the therapeutic benefits of cannabis that have the potential to help millions of Americans battling chronic pain, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, anxiety disorders and more. »
“We welcome the enactment of this essential and long-awaited legislation, and we know that much more needs to be done to address the continuing damage of the failed war on drugs. Our caucus will continue to work to reimagine the federal government’s approach to cannabis and enact further reforms. In the coming weeks, we are committed to passing other bipartisan, common-sense proposals like the SAFE Banking Package, the Veterans Equal Access Act, the PREPARE Act and the Safe Harbor Act. medical cannabis for veterans. »
