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WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) today released the following statement after voting for the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019.

“For decades, our nation’s broken marijuana laws caused deep trauma by locking up generations of Black and Brown people, while enacting antiquated barriers to critical research,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “Even though I recognize the dangers of substance use disorders and the remaining unknowns of marijuana, it is abundantly clear that inaction is not the answer. With the passage of the MORE Act today, the House of Representatives has taken a first step towards righting the wrongs of our past by giving small businesses access to banks, decriminalizing marijuana and expunging criminal records, investing in research of the physical and mental health impacts, and implementing intentional economic policies focused on those hurt most by the War on Drugs. But our work cannot end here. That is why I will continue to advocate for legislation like my Medical Marijuana Research Act to ensure researchers can conduct critical, science-driven research.”

Last year, Congresswoman Dingell introduced the Medical Marijuana Research Act with Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA). The legislation would:

• Amend the Controlled Substances Act to establish a new, separate registration process to facilitate research with marijuana for medical purposes;
• Encourage the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the wait time for approval research registration applications;
• Direct FDA to issue guidelines on the production of marijuana from authorized researchers and manufacturers; 
• Make available marijuana from state authorized marijuana programs; and
• Ensure all medical marijuana researchers are in compliance with FDA drug development standards.

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