Senate Democrats unveiled a bill that has been long in the works to propose marijuana legalization, placing the matter in the hands of state legislatures.
The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, championed by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has been put forward to make marijuana legal at the federal level. The bill takes aim at numerous this to include tracing of products, decriminalization measures including past convictions, and more.
The bill does include provisions to address public health and biomedical research concerns. This even includes outlining allowances for federal agencies to award grants for facilities wishing to engage in cannabis research measures. This even includes long awaited language to begin guiding the Department of Veteran Affairs on the subject.
SOCIETAL IMPACT OF CANNABIS LEGALIZATION STUDY
The new bill prompts the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an evaluation of the societal impact of the legalization by States of adult-use of cannabis. This evaluation is directed to address, where information and data are available, a myriad of areas. Those areas will include things such as federal and state law enforcement activities, including arrests related to illicit use, possession, production, manufacture, and distribution of cannabis; and diversion and seizures of cannabis.
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The study will take a look on the impact on employment and the receipt of federal welfare assistance. Interesting enough, the research will be looking into the changes in how the population utilizes health care, including hospitalization related to methamphetamine and narcotic use and the use of cannabis for medical purposes. There will also be an analysis of tax revenue remitted to States resulting from legal cannabis sales.
There is a time limit placed in the bill for this to be done as well. The bill states that not later than 2 years after the date of the bill’s passing that the Comptroller General (CG) shall report the findings. The CG shall brief the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
They will also report to the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives on the preliminary findings of the evaluation.
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Biomedical research on cannabis
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (‘Secretary), in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, will be required to conduct or support research on the impacts of cannabis. The research conducted or supported may include research on:
- the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol on the human brain;
- the efficacy of cannabis as a treatment for specific diseases and conditions, including any impact on chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder;
- the impact of the use of cannabis on—
- pulmonary function;
- cardiovascular events;
- cancer, including testicular, ovarian, transitional cell, and head, neck, and oral cancers, and chronic illnesses;
- mania;
- psychosis;
- cognitive effects; and
- cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome;
- the identification of additional medical benefits, harms, and uses of cannabis.
In conducting or supporting the bill will give the Secretary the flexibility to consider using various forms of cannabis. This means that will not only be a full plant thrown into a blender. It can full plants and extracts that will be made available.
As well the secretary may consider different types of cannabis with significant trait variations. There can also be a variation of the ratios between THC content and cannabidiol content. The bill puts forth that the delivery methods can vary as well to include (non)combustible inhalation methods along with ingestion.
Within 18 months of the bill passing the Secretary will have to submit a report that includes an overview of the research conducted and supported. This report will be submitted to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. As well it will be submitted to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
Afterwards, for 4 years the same report must be submitted annually. The funding for this is set out so that in addition to any amounts otherwise available, the Treasury will issue $200 million. This will be issued each fiscal year for the years 2023 through 2027 to carry out this research.
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Public health surveillance and data collection
The Public Health Service Act (PHSA) is to be amended by inserting ‘‘AND ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS OF CANNABIS USE’’ after ‘‘SUBSTANCES’’. This will be done to Section 392A in the heading.
The PHSA will be by modified to include language about cannabis and any possible adverse effects. It will also include language that allows for the collection of data to better understand the use and health effects of cannabis, stimulants, and polysubstances. The budget for this will go from $496 million to $596 million for each fiscal year from 2023 to 2027. Additional funding will be allowed up to $100 million by the treasury for those same years.
Awards to prevent underage cannabis use
The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall award grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to eligible entities to prevent and reduce underage cannabis use. Under this section, an eligible agency such as TABC in Texas, or even DSHS would be eligible to be awarded funds for the purpose of reducing underage cannabis use. The bill goes as far as even allowing a nonprofit community based organization or nonprofit the Secretary deems appropriate, to receive an award.
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Eligible entities receiving an award under this subsection will be required to use the funds from such awards in a specific way. They will be required to establish, enhance, and support programs that offer screening, prevention, early intervention, diagnosis, treatment, referral, and recovery support services related to underage cannabis use.
The funds can be used design, test, evaluate, and disseminate evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage cannabis use.
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Awards will be granted to educate children, adolescents, youth, parents, health care providers, and communities about the dangers of underage cannabis use, including impaired driving due to cannabis use. The money can also be used by public and private organizations to collect data on underage cannabis use to identify and address needs, service gaps, and trends.
The bill will grant monetary awards to outfits looking to strengthen collaboration among communities, and across varying levels of government to prevent underage cannabis use. They will be able to address community norms regarding underage cannabis use, reduce opportunities for underage cannabis use, and reduce the prevalence of negative consequences associated with underage cannabis use.
All of this is to support and supplement, but not supplant current efforts that are already ongoing by government action and awards. There will be a priority of funds going to groups that served medically underserved communities and communities with high rates of underage cannabis use. As well, funds will be prioritized to communities that have historically experienced disproportionate arrest and conviction rates related to the sale possession use manufacture or cultivation of cannabis.
There will be $15 million appropriated for each of the fiscal years from 2023 to 2027 to do this measure.
NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS ON CANNABIS USE
This section of the bill allows for a set of materials to go out on a mass communication level to talk about various safety issues, medical, and age issues regarding cannabis. The content will be about the dangers of underage usage, intoxicated driving, intoxication involving the workplace and more. The Treasury will allowed to put forward $5 million in addition to what is currently appropriated to these programs.