It’s Time to Remove Cannabis Research Obstacles: House Subcommittee

In a hearing held yesterday by a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, members of Congress pushed the FDA and other Trump administration officials to lessen the barriers in place to study the safety and health effects of cannabis. As reported by The Hill, the federal government has a lot of catching up to do, to bridge the gap with state laws.

Administration officials who attended the meeting indicated that while they agree about the inadequacies of studies on marijuana benefits and concerns, “more studies are needed” before changes to policy will be made. In the meantime, marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug federally, grouping it with the likes of LSD and heroin.

Representative Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) is quoted in the article as saying, “Federal prohibition has failed, from our criminal justice system to our health care system, to our state and local governments that are forced to navigate an impossible landscape.”