Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) announced Wednesday that he will introduce a bill to remove barriers blocking research into medical marijuana.
In a pun-filled statement released on Twitter, Hatch said it was “high time” to address the issue.
“It’s high time to address research into medical marijuana,” Hatch said Wednesday. “Our country has experimented with a variety of state solutions without properly delving into the weeds on the effectiveness, safety, dosing, administration, and quality of medical marijuana.”
“To be blunt,” Hatch added, “we need to remove the administrative barriers preventing legitimate research into medical marijuana, which is why I’ve decided to roll out the MEDS Act.”
The bill, co-written by Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii), would streamline the process for approving research on medical marijuana and would direct Attorney General Jeff Sessions to “increase the national marijuana quota in a timely manner to meet the changing medical, scientific, and industrial needs for marijuana.”
According to Hatch’s website, the bill has already picked up several co-sponsors, including Sens. Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
“I urge my colleagues to join Senator Schatz and me in our joint effort to help thousands of Americans suffering from a wide-range of diseases and disorders,” Hatch said Wednesday.
“In a Washington at war with itself, I have high hopes that this bipartisan initiative can be a kumbaya moment for both parties.”
