Biden makes history signing the Medical Marijuana Research Bill. What does it mean?

US President Joe Biden has ratified the Medical Marijuana Research Bill into a law in a historic first for American legislation, changing the way research can be conducted over cannabis in the United States.

• In an official statement, the White House announced that the US President had signed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, "which establishes a new registration process for conducting research on marijuana and for manufacturing marijuana products for research purposes and drug development."

In essence, the newly sanctioned law will allow research and development to be conducted freely and unrestricted by legal barriers, which has been the case for the better half of the last century.

What they are saying: The chairs on the committee - the Democrats Earl Blumenauer and Barbara Lee, as well as the Republicans Dave Joyce and Brian Mast - released the following statement in celebration of President Biden’s signing of the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act:

The representatives said that the new law aimed at remedying the harm caused by the War on Drugs and better understand the therapeutic potential that cannabis had to offer to help millions of Americans suffering from chronic pain, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, anxiety disorders and more.

What has it been like so far: Prior to this, federal red tape would hinder the process of application, acquisition and registration for scientists who would study the medical potential of cannabis. Now, the researchers would be given access to a federally mandated, uninterrupted and continuous supply of cannabis for their studies. (“studies”)

• The law also encourages the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to grow, manufacture and dispense cannabis-derived medications.

The Cannabis Bill: This new legislation comes amid the recent introduction of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, or the cannabis bill, which seeks the decriminalisation of cannabis on the federal level and allows states to set their own cannabis laws without pressure from the central government.  

Biden's U-turn: The US President’s statement marks a sharp roundabout from his prior stance on cannabis legislation.

When asked about Biden’s two cents on the new cannabis bill, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden’s stance on marijuana legalisation hasn’t changed and that the President did not support the decriminalisation of the drug on a federal level.

However, in October, Biden addressed the growing concerns of the racially disproportionate levels of cannabis-related incarcerations over the United States and issued federal pardons to those convicted of simple cannabis possession. His administration is currently reviewing how cannabis is scheduled under the Control Substances Act, seeking to remove its status as a controlled substance altogether. 

What is the current status of marijuana in US: As things stand,

• recreational marijuana is already legal in 19 states and Washington DC
• medicinal usage of cannabis is legal in 37 states and three US territories
• However, cannabis still remains illegal across the United States on a federal level owing to its classification as a Schedule 1 drug.

• According to the FDA, Schedule 2 drugs have no medical value and high potential for abuse, while Schedule 2 through 5 substances all have some medical value but differ in ranking depending on their potential for abuse (from high to low).

Meanwhile, having announced his 2024 presidential candidacy, the former US President Donald Trump addressed substance control in his speech in stark contrast to the Biden administration's approach, suggesting a waging war on drug cartels and the death penalty for drug dealers to who have been responsible for "death, carnage and crime". 

Though still mere stepping stones towards greater reform, the newly ratified pieces of legislation set a healthy precedent for cannabis laws across the world to follow suit.

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