Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions April 12 calling on him to stop delaying approvals for medical marijuana research.
To date, only the Oxford-based University of Mississippi is licensed to produce marijuana for federally sanctioned research, even though the Drug Enforcement Administration, alongside the FDA and National Institutes of Health, "fully supports expanding research into the potential medical utility of marijuana and its chemical constituents."
Though 354 individuals and institutions were approved to conduct research on medical marijuana as of August 2016, those researchers do not have access to enough product to successfully complete their studies. Under Mr. Sessions, the Justice Department has blocked the DEA from ruling on over 20 requests to grow marijuana for research purposes.
"By allowing expanded research, the Department of Justice will aid legislators in making sound decisions, help law enforcement in developing critical public safety guidance, and ensure that citizens have the benefit of informed, evidence-based policy," Ms. Harris and Mr. Hatch write.
The lawmakers request that Mr. Sessions provide the date the DOJ expects to complete its review of grower applications and resolve all applications by Aug. 11, 2018 — exactly two years since the DEA announced its support of expanded research.