Tillis Co-Sponsors Legislation to Expand Research into Medical Benefits of Cannabidiol | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Press Release:

    WASHINGTON, D.C.     U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently co-sponsored the Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, a bill to support research initiatives on the potential benefits of substances such as cannabidiol (CBD) that are derived from marijuana.

    "When it comes to our nation's efforts to cure diseases, we shouldn't let regulations be a roadblock to legitimate and responsible medical research," said Senator Tillis. "The Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act is a commonsense, bipartisan effort to remove unnecessary barriers to give researchers an improved ability to study the potential benefits and risks of cannabidiol and other components that are derived from the marijuana plant."

    The bill was introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

    Currently, CBD is classified as a Schedule I drug. As a result, research on CBD is subject to extremely stringent regulations, which has posed a significant obstacle to medical developments and research. Thousands of parents nationwide have used CBD oil to help their children who suffer from intractable epilepsy, often with positive results. However, because no drug products containing CBD have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to date, CBD is unregulated and its effectiveness is unpredictable.

    The goal of the Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act is to ensure research on CBD and other potentially beneficial marijuana-derived substances is based on sound science while simultaneously reducing the regulatory barriers associated with conducting research on marijuana.

    Key provisions of the bill include:

• Requiring the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to complete an analysis to determine the medical value of CBD within one year.
• Allowing research on CBD to be conducted using a Schedule II registration, rather than the more stringent Schedule I classification.
• Streamlining the process by which researchers notify the federal government of changes to their research protocols or quantity of marijuana needed.
• Reducing research barriers by requiring changes to approved protocols to be determined in 30 days.
• Allowing accredited research institutions, medical schools, practitioners and pharmaceutical companies to manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess marijuana or cannabidiol for the purpose of authorized medical research.
• Creating a pathway for the commercial production of FDA-approved marijuana-derived medications.
• Allowing the possession of non-psychoactive components of marijuana solely for the treatment of epilepsy.
• Requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to expand research on CBD and other non-psychoactive components of marijuana.

• Contact: Daniel Keylin
•     daniel_keylin@tillis.senate.gov