FDA and HHS have finally established that cannabis has “accepted medical use,” the result of over 23 years of work removing barriers to allow this to happen. Now, we must answer how to get this medicine to patients, and the existing infrastructure is insufficient to do so.
It is easier to educate Congress and lobby concepts when there is a bill number. A bill makes obtaining congressional hearings, OMB reports, and GOA reports easier.
Legislation forces stakeholder input.
Model Legislation guides policy in regulatory agencies and other legislative proposals. For example, much of the advances in cannabis research policies outlined in the Research Act of 2022 were already happening under various agencies through improved guidelines and directive memos. We were able to make those changes before passing the legislation due to the guidance of the research bill that we passed eight years earlier.
Medical cannabis was left entirely out of the cannabis dialogue in the 118th Congress due to the absence of federal legislative proposals.
This legislation creates an oversight body to implement the intent of the Research Act of 2022.
Legislation takes time to pass. The American Disabilities Act A took 30 years, the medical cannabis amendment to CJS appropriations took twelve years, and the Research Act took eight.
Hemp regulations are driving conversations about cannabinoid regulations in a dangerous direction for the future of medical cannabis, and an alternative proposal is needed.
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