Latest Emails Show Thoughtful Chuck Grassley Is Changing His Tune On Cannabis In 2019

A genuine gentleman, every time! This email from our good Senator was downloaded just now from Iowa Patience:

Dear :

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your views on medical marijuana laws. I appreciate hearing from Iowans.

Congress enacted the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, which created a framework through which the federal government regulates the lawful production, possession, and distribution of controlled substances. Marijuana and its extracts are currently categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance. This means that marijuana has “a high potential for abuse” and such substances are prohibited to be cultivated, distributed, or possessed under federal law.

Americans benefit from the world’s safest, most effective system of medicine, built on a process of scientific research, testing and oversight that is unparalleled. Every drug prescribed in this country must be tested according to scientifically rigorous protocols to ensure that it is safe and effective before it can be sold. The potential use of marijuana for medical purposes is best evaluated though this system.
There are medicines derived from the marijuana plant that have been approved by the FDA. For example, Marinol is a legally available, FDA-approved synthetic THC that is often used as a treatment for nausea and AIDS wasting syndrome.

Additionally, I was pleased to see that the FDA approved Epidiolex, a purified form of cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD is a non-hallucinogenic chemical in the marijuana plant. Epidiolex, a Schedule V substance, was approved by the FDA to treat seizures, specifically those children suffering from intractable epilepsy or Dravet Syndrome. Substances like marijuana are treated the most sensitively and are subject to intense regulatory scrutiny. If medicine can be garnered from marijuana, it should be done so through this rigorous and intensive process that the makers of Epidiolex successfully navigated.

It has been a priority of mine to lead the discussion on CBD, and have done so through hearings and legislation. On June 24, 2015, we conducted a hearing in the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control to explore the potential medical benefits of CBD and these barriers to research. In addition, as the former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I authorized a subcommittee hearing on medical marijuana research, which took place on July 13, 2016. Expert witnesses from both parties within the government and in the research sector provided testimony which will help guide future policy considerations.

Last Congress, Senator Feinstein and I, along with Senators Durbin, Tillis, and Ernst, reintroduced the Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act on May 25, 2017. The goal of this legislation is to ensure research on CBD and other potentially beneficial marijuana-derived substances is based on sound science while simultaneously reducing the regulatory barriers associated with conducting research on marijuana. In part, this legislation will allow research on CBD to be conducted using a Schedule II registration, rather than the more stringent Schedule I registration. Finally, the bill allows for the possession of non-psychoactive components of marijuana for the
treatment of epilepsy, so long as a neurologist attests that the benefits of the substance reasonably outweigh the potential risks.

I hope to pass the CBD Research Expansion Act into law, because it will help continue the conversation beyond just one FDA approved drug. It will facilitate future legitimate medical research that can be done on CBD and marijuana that could lead to safe and effective drugs for patients.

Even with these newest scientific and FDA developments, there is nonetheless insufficient evidence demonstrated through large-scale clinical trials, or scientifically sound peer-reviewed studies, that the benefits of smoking marijuana outweigh the risks to patients. Further, the FDA has never approved smoking as a delivery system for any type of medicine, due both to the health risks associated with smoking, and that smoking does not allow for consistent dosing. In fact, there is some evidence that smoking marijuana may actually aggravate some of the conditions it is supposed to treat, such as glaucoma and seizures. Finally, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there is growing evidence that smoking marijuana may cause long-term or even permanent impairment in cognitive ability and intelligence when used regularly during adolescence.

As a result, leading medical organizations in the country, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Society for Addiction Medicine, the American Cancer Society, the American Glaucoma Foundation, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society all oppose using smoked marijuana as medicine.

In closing, the government has to ensure both public safety and the effectiveness of drugs available for patients, but it shouldn’t delay medical innovations that could help those in need. Certainly, I want to provide as much relief as possible for people who are sick. Should scientific research demonstrate that any additional marijuanabased drugs are safe and effective to treat a condition, and the FDA approves them, I would support the ability of doctors to prescribe them to their patients.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. Let’s keep in touch.
Sincerely,

Chuck Grassley United States Senate
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
CHAIRMAN,  JUDICIARY
FINANCE AGRICULTURE BUDGET
CO-CHAIRMAN, INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL CAUCUS     IOWA OFFICE LOCATIONS     CEDAR RAPIDS COUNCIL BLUFFS DAVENPORT DES MOINES SIOUX CITY WATERLOO

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