Expanding Cannabis Research and Information Act

This bill changes marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance, which allows it to be dispensed, subject to certain limitations, for accepted medical uses with a written or oral prescription.

The bill also requires the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to collaborate with specified agencies to develop a national cannabis research agenda that must address (1) the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, (2) how it effects specified populations, (3) its long-term effects, (4) clinically appropriate methods to deliver it to the body, and (5) other public safety considerations. Additionally, the bill directs NIH to designate centers of excellence in cannabis research at institutions of higher education to conduct interdisciplinary research about biomedical, behavioral, and social issued related to cannabis.

Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must work with other agencies to collect population-wide data about cannabis use, including (1) demographic factors, (2) health outcomes, (3) health care utilization rates, (4) product variety, (5) delivery methods, and (6) other relevant health information.