Political Quotes

“I appreciate the gentleman's kind comments and cooperation. Working with the ranking member, working with Dr. Harris, we made real progress here. Mr. Speaker, the cannabis laws in this country are broken, especially those that deal with research. It is illegal everywhere in America to drive under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, or any other substance. But we do not have a good test for impairment because we can't study it. Now, Dr. Harris and I don't necessarily agree on the efficacy of cannabis, but we agree that this is insane and that we need to change it. At a time when there are 4 million registered medical cannabis patients, and many more who self-medicate, when there are 91 percent of Americans supporting medical cannabis, it is time to change the system. Our bill will do precisely that. We have a broad coalition of Members and organizations who support the bill, including those who do have concerns about cannabis. Specifically, the bill will tackle two main issues: research licensing and manufacturing. For manufacturers, it requires the DEA to license outside of the NIDA monopoly so we can study the products Americans are using. For researchers, it shortens the timelines, reduces unnecessary security measures, and streamlines approval. This bill will not only reduce barriers to medical research but all cannabis research. It is a narrow bill that fixes one of many broken cannabis laws.…”