Recently, the House of Representatives approved a transportation bill which includes a provision allowing researchers to access cannabis from state-legal dispensaries. This is the same cannabis purchased by consumers. By testing what consumers are taking, results will be more accurate to what people are taking instead of what is being provided and heavily regulated by government grown facilities. 

Last month the bill cleared a House committee, and the Chamber passed the legislation in a 221 – 201 vote. A senate committee also advanced their own version of the transportation proposal that contains similar language around cannabis research with product from legal dispensaries. 

The Federal Report

Under the House approved legislation, a federal report will go out with recommendations on establishing a national clearinghouse. This clearinghouse would provide samples of various types of cannabis to scientists from legal and non-legal states for research.

The House legislation also mandates the development of a public report within two years of the bill’s enactment. The Transportation Secretary will work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department on the report. This report will include recommendations allowing scientists to access retail cannabis for research purposes. 

Finally, the bill states the report should analyze “statutory and regulatory barriers to the conduct of scientific research and the establishment of a national clearinghouse for purposes of facilitating research on marijuana-impaired driving.”

Education Provisions

The transportation legislation also includes a section that will require only legal cannabis states to consider education methods to the general public about cannabis impaired driving. It also requires legal states to discourage impaired driving. Advocates take issue with this language. It targets states with legalized markets while ignoring facts about cannabis impaired driving occuring regardless of their legal status.

Despite this issue, advocates support measures to reduce impaired driving overall. But some have problems with the implication that legalizing cannabis increases the risk of people driving while under the influence. Research is not conclusive on this subject.

Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp-related news.