Political Quotes

“I rise today to introduce the Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act with my colleagues, Senators Grassley, Durbin, Tillis, and Ernst. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a nonpsychoactive component of marijuana. In many instances parents, after exhausting other treatment options, have turned to CBD to as a last resort to treat their children who have intractable epilepsy. Anecdotally, CBD has produced positive results. However, due to existing barriers and the fact that marijuana is a schedule I drug, rigorous research that is needed to better understand the long-term safety and efficacy of CBD as a medicine, as well as the correct dosing and potential interaction with other medications, is lacking. The Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act seeks to both reduce these barriers and spur additional research to ensure that CBD and other marijuana-derived medications are based on the most up to date scientific evidence. It also provides a pathway for the manufacture and distribution of FDA-approved drugs that are based on this research. It does this while maintaining safeguards to protect against illegal diversion. First, the bill directs the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to complete a scientific and medical evaluation of CBD within 1 year. Based on this evaluation, the legislation directs the Department of Justice to make a scheduling recommendation for CBD that is independent of marijuana.…”