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Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act

Public Law 117-215 · H.R. 8454 · 117th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 2, 2022 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3)

Cosponsors (10): Rep. Andy Harris,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 325 yea, 95 nay325–95
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This act establishes a new, separate registration process to facilitate research on marijuana.

Specifically, the act directs the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to follow procedures specified in the act to register (1) practitioners to conduct marijuana research, and (2) manufacturers to supply marijuana for the research.

The act allows certain registered entities (including institutions of higher education, practitioners, and manufacturers) to manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD) for the purposes of medical research. Additionally, the act directs the DEA to register manufacturers and distributors of CBD or marijuana for the purpose of commercial production of an approved drug that contains marijuana or its derivative.

Finally, the act includes various other provisions, including provisions that

• require the DEA to assess whether there is an adequate and uninterrupted supply of marijuana for research purposes;

• prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from reinstating the interdisciplinary review process for marijuana research;

• allow physicians to discuss the potential harms and benefits of marijuana and its derivatives (including CBD) with patients; and

• require HHS, in coordination with the National Institutes of Health and relevant federal agencies, to report on the therapeutic potential of marijuana for various conditions such as epilepsy, as well as the impact on adolescent brains and on the ability to operate a motor vehicle.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 325 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

325 yea95 nay10 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(216)

Republicans who voted yea(109)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 839 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 253Related bill

    Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.

  1. Dec 2, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-215.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 29, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 17, 2022FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Nov 16, 2022FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Jul 27, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  7. Jul 26, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 325 - 95 (Roll no. 392).House roll call 392
  9. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  10. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  11. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8454.
  12. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  13. FloorFloor · Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  14. Jul 21, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  15. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.