Press Releases

Washington, DC -- Last night, the U.S. Senate passed unanimously by voice vote the Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion Act (S. 2032). This marks the first time that a cannabis reform bill has passed the Senate. 

This bill combines two bills: the Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act and the Marijuana Effective Drug Studies Act. If enacted into law, the bill would remove existing barriers to scientific and medical research on cannabis and its compounds including CBD (cannabidiol). Click here for the full list of provisions.

Washington, DC -- Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by a voice vote HR 3797, the  Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Andy Harris (R-MD). 

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act), or  HR 3884, which was introduced by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) on July 23, 2019. The vote was historic, with the House voting for the first time to approve legislation to remove cannabis from Schedule I of  the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) worked closely with Congressman Lou Correa’s (D-CA) office to secure language in the measure as it was brought to the House floor that authorizes research on the mental and physical health applications of cannabis to veterans. “ASA would like to thank Congressman Correa who has been a strong champion of veterans cannabis research, authoring HR 712, the VA Medical Cannabis Research Act of 2019, which was the basis of the amendment,” said Dustin McDonald, interim policy director of Americans for Safe Access.  

Removing from Schedule IV Will Have Far Reaching Impact on Medical Cannabis Patients Around the World

Washington, DC -- Today, a historic decision by the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was made when it adopted the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations to remove cannabis and its resin from Schedule IV under the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, with the United States voting for the deletion from Schedule IV. A total of 27 countries voted in favor of removal from Schedule IV, 25 countries voted against, and one country abstained from voting (Ukraine). The Schedule IV placement is intended for drugs that are dangerous and lack therapeutic importance. 

ASA Urges the U.S. to Adopt the World Health Organization’s Recommendations 

Washington, DC -- On December 2, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) will meet in Vienna, Austria and may consider adopting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations to remove cannabis and its resin from Schedule IV under the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 among other ground breaking recommendations. The placement in Schedule IV indicates that cannabis is dangerous and lacks therapeutic importance. It was not based on scientific evidence.

Washington, DC -- Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the leading advocacy organization working to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use and research, and Leaf411, a premiere nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and directional support to the general public about the safe use of legal cannabis (marijuana & hemp), have partnered together on Leaf411’s Affordability program. The program offers low-income medical cannabis patients financial support in helping them to obtain their medicine. 

Washington, DC -- We are pleased to announce that CannaSafe Analytics of Van Nuys, CA has been certified for laboratory analysis of cannabis products under our PFC laboratory certification program. They also become the first facility in the country to receive the PFC Health and Sanitation Certification. The Health and Sanitation certification was recently added to address current issues of health and safety during the ongoing pandemic. PFC is the only nonprofit third-party certification program for the cannabis industry based on quality standards issued by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP).

Washington, DC -- Viridis Laboratories of Lansing, MI has been certified for laboratory analysis of cannabis products under our dual PFC/ISO 17025 laboratory accreditation program in partnership with the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). PFC is the only nonprofit third-party certification program for the cannabis industry based on quality standards issued by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP). ISO 17025 is an internationally recognized laboratory standard for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, and is a required standard for many cannabis testing labs. Working with A2LA we have combined them into the most complete laboratory certification available.

Washington, DC -- Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the leading medical cannabis advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring safe and legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use and research, with the pro bono support of attorneys in Goodwin’s cannabis and appellate practice groups, filed an amicus brief  in support of the petition for certiorari filed in the matter of Washington v. Barr. The ASA amicus brief highlights the plight of medical patients who face numerous restrictions in accessing and using medical cannabis.