SALT LAKE CITY — The only "medical marijuana" bill passed by Utah lawmakers in 2016 was a resolution urging the federal government to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule II drug, a change that would open the door to medical research.
Had Congress authorized the Drug Enforcement Administration to make that change, universities and pharmaceutical companies "would have already asked and answered the questions we're trying to do now," said Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, addressing his legislative colleagues Wednesday during a meeting of the Utah Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.
One of those questions is whether Utah should launch into cannabis-based medicine research on its own under state-level legislation.
"Our patients out there are desperate. They're desperate for something to be done. … They're desperate to have alternatives to opioids in terms of pain relief," said Shiozawa, an emergency room physician.
But Utah has not passed legislation that permits medical research with cannabinoids, and the process for researchers to obtain DEA licensure to conduct research with Schedule I drugs is onerous, he said.
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Had Congress authorized the Drug Enforcement Administration to make that change, universities and pharmaceutical companies "would have already asked and answered the questions we're trying to do now," said Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, addressing his legislative colleagues Wednesday during a meeting of the Utah Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.
One of those questions is whether Utah should launch into cannabis-based medicine research on its own under state-level legislation.
"Our patients out there are desperate. They're desperate for something to be done. … They're desperate to have alternatives to opioids in terms of pain relief," said Shiozawa, an emergency room physician.
But Utah has not passed legislation that permits medical research with cannabinoids, and the process for researchers to obtain DEA licensure to conduct research with Schedule I drugs is onerous, he said.
Read more
