U.S Congress: Federal Bill Would Let Colleges Use State-Legal Marijuana for Research, Protect Students and Federal Funding

Representative Dina Titus (D), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, says she is introducing the Higher Education Marijuana Research Act to remove federal barriers that have long made it harder for colleges and universities to study marijuana.

In a social media post shared on 4/20, Titus said the bill would “eliminate barriers to academic research on cannabis,” arguing that federal policy remains out of step with the reality on the ground as millions of Americans live in states where marijuana is legal for either medical or recreational use.

The legislation, which was first introduced in 2023, would give DEA a new priority factor to consider whether an applicant is an institution of higher education or a state or local government entity when reviewing research registrations. It would also require annual DEA reporting to Congress on research license applications, including how many were filed, their status, and why any were denied.

The bill would also allow colleges and universities in states or on tribal land where marijuana is legal to obtain marijuana from state or tribal regulators, or from state or tribal law enforcement, for biological, chemical, agricultural and public health research.

Another key section would protect students, researchers and schools from losing federal student aid or other federal funding because of participation in approved marijuana research conducted in a controlled setting. It would also say a participating student’s or researcher’s immigration status could not be harmed by taking part in that research.

The proposal would further require the DEA to create an Office of University Relations to help researchers and schools navigate registration requirements, while directing NIH to form a working group with officials from NIH, FDA, DEA and higher education institutions to recommend ways to simplify the marijuana research process.