Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act signed into law—the first standalone federal cannabis reform bill

On December 2, 2022, President Joe Biden signed H.R. 8454, the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (Public Law 117-215), into law. Passed by a 325–95 vote in the House and by unanimous consent in the Senate, the bill marked the first standalone federal cannabis reform statute ever enacted by the U.S. Congress.

What the law changed for scientists and doctors

For decades, university and pharmaceutical researchers complained that Schedule I registration delays at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) could stall clinical studies for years:

• Strict DEA deadlines: The Act requires the DEA to approve or request supplemental information on a medical cannabis research application within 60 days, and to register manufacturers supplying research-grade cannabis within rigid statutory timelines.
• Ending the single-source bottleneck: Building on recent DEA steps to license additional bulk manufacturers beyond the University of Mississippi, the law required the Attorney General to assess annually whether there is an adequate, uninterrupted supply of cannabis for clinical trials.
• Protecting doctor-patient conversations: The statute explicitly clarified that physicians do not violate the Controlled Substances Act by discussing the known potential harms and benefits of marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD) with their patients.