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https://www.wbaltv.com/article/medical-marijuana-and-cannabidiol-research-expansion-act-passes/41995421#

As more states legalize marijuana, like Maryland voters approved last week, the federal government is taking action, passing a marijuana research bill.

The Senate passed a bipartisan bill called the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. The Senate's vote comes after the House passed the legislation in July.

This is the first marijuana reform bill to ever pass Congress. The bill streamlines the application process for marijuana research and removes existing barriers, which have made it hard for researchers to conduct studies.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, is one of the sponsors of the bill. In a statement, she wrote, in part: "There is substantial evidence that marijuana-derived medications can and are providing major health benefits. Our bill will make it easier to study how these medications can treat various conditions."

Maryland's sole Republican in Congress, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-District 1, led the way on the House side. He wrote in a statement, in part: "As a physician who has conducted (National Institutes of Health)-sponsored research, I am pleased that this bill has finally been passed and that scientists will be able to research what medical marijuana can and cannot do."

The group Smart Approaches to Marijuana helped with the legislation.

"It's paving the way for medicines derived from the cannabis plant to be approved by the (Food and Drug Administration) through the regular research and scientific process. (It's) not how many medical marijuana laws are crafted. They're crafted (by) partisan legislators voting on what can be treated by smoking the raw plant," said Will Jones, director of community engagement and outreach for Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

What this bill does not do is change marijuana's Schedule 1 status. So, marijuana remains illegal on the federal level. The legislation is headed to the president's desk.