Pubdate: Tue, 21 Jun 2016
Source: Star Democrat (Easton, MD)
Copyright: 2016 The Star Democrat
Contact: https://stardem-dot-com.bloxcms.com/site/forms/online_services/letter/
Website: http://www.stardem.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1233
Author: Josh Bollinger

HARRIS AMONG FEDERAL LAWMAKERS PUSHING FOR MEDICAL POT RESEARCH

EASTON - U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, Rmd.-1st, is part of a group of 
bipartisan congressmen who want to loosen the federal barriers to 
medical marijuana research.

Harris, a physician who has also conducted National Institute of 
Health-sponsored research, and several other federal lawmakers plan 
to introduce bills in both houses of Congress.

According to Harris' office, the House version of the bill would 
address two major barriers faced by those who want to conduct 
legitimate medical marijuana research. It allows for the private 
manufacturing and distribution of marijuana solely for research 
purposes, in order for the researchers to get the pot they need for 
their studies. It also aims to reduce approval wait times for studies.

Harris was criticized by marijuana legalization advocates in late 
2014 and early 2015 when he successfully included a measure in a 
federal spending bill that effectively blocked the District of 
Columbia from legalizing up to 2 ounces of marijuana - something 
approved by D.C. voters through a ballot measure. Harris' measure, 
however, did not impact medical marijuana in D.C.

"Our drug policy was never intended to act as an impediment to 
conducting legitimate medical research," Harris said in a statement 
released Monday, June 20. "We need empirical scientific evidence to 
clearly determine whether marijuana has medicinal benefits and, if 
so, how it would be used most effectively."

The proposal comes after 25 states, including Maryland, have approved 
medical marijuana provisions.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is currently considering 
rescheduling marijuana. It is currently a Schedule I drug, meaning 
the agency does not consider it to have any medical benefits, and 
considers it to have a high potential for abuse. Marijuana shares the 
same schedule classification as heroin, LSD, ecstasy and peyote.

Harris said his issue with marijuana has always been routed in 
recreational use. As for using marijuana for medicinal purposes, 
Harris said the question is still out there on what specific 
illnesses - beyond a handful of known benefits to those who suffer 
with illnesses including cancer and glaucoma - it could help treat.

He said that, to date, a lot of talk over which diseases marijuana is 
said to have beneficial impacts on has been anecdotal, hypothetical 
or exaggerated - that the bonafide medical evidence mostly is just not there.

"This in no way changes my opinion at all of legalization of 
recreational marijuana," Harris said. "And I think that we owe it to 
patients who have illnesses ... the medical research that would show 
whether or not marijuana is just a false promise or whether it 
actually has the efficacy to treat their medical diseases."

He said it's especially important to find what diseases marijuana 
could specifically help treat, if any, considering all the states 
that are moving toward legalizing medical marijuana, so any policy 
decisions are based on sound research.

"Before we go and we greatly expand the availability of medical 
marijuana, we probably ought to do the research into exactly which 
diseases is (marijuana) the preferred treatment, or useful treatment," he said.

The bill wouldn't require the DEA to reschedule marijuana, but 
changes the rules for doing research on the Schedule I drug. If it is 
found through research that marijuana is useful for certain 
conditions, then the House version of the bill allows for private 
drug companies to produce it, just like any other treatment, Harris said.

The bill is also being sponsored by Oregon Democrat U.S. Rep. Earl 
Blumenauer, Virginia Republican U.S. Rep. H. Morgan Griffith and 
California Democrat Sam Farr. They plan to introduce the bill into 
Congress this week, according to a Monday release.

"Despite the fact that over 200 million Americans now have legal 
access to some form of medical marijuana, federal policy is blocking 
science. It's outrageous," Blumenauer said. "We owe it to patients 
and their families to allow for the research physicians need to 
understand marijuana's benefits and risks and determine proper use and dosage."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom