2020 Spending Bill Includes Cannabis-Related Agenda For Federal Regulators

The joint explanatory statement attached to the recently-enacted 2020 appropriations package¹ contains several cannabis-related provisions for federal regulators to implement in the coming months. 

In the past, Congress has been hesitant to include any language governing the federal treatment of cannabis, with the exception of a long-standing appropriations rider that prohibits the Department of Justice from using appropriated funds to interfere in states that have legalized marijuana for medical use. 

This year, however, Congress agreed on several significant provisions that: 

• Encourage the National Institutes of Health to consider additional investment in studying the medicinal effects and toxicology of cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids;