I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8901 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the designation 
of institutions of higher education as Centers of Excellence in Cannabis 
Research, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 28, 2024 
Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, Mr. THANEDAR, and Mrs. CHA-
VEZ-DEREMER) introduced the following bill; which was 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 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
the designation of institutions of higher education as 
Centers of Excellence in Cannabis Research, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cannabis Research 
Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:01 Aug 13, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8901.IH
H8901
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 2. CANNABIS RESEARCH AT THE DEPARTMENT OF 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. 
(a) NATIONAL CANNABIS RESEARCH AGENDA.—Part 
B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
284 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 409K. NATIONAL CANNABIS RESEARCH AGENDA. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of the Cannabis Research Act, the Di-
rector of NIH, in collaboration with the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Commis-
sioner of Food and Drugs, and the Assistant Secretary 
for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall develop a na-
tional cannabis research agenda that addresses key ques-
tions and gaps in evidence, including with respect to each 
of the following: 
‘‘(1) The safety and efficacy of cannabis in pro-
viding therapeutic benefits for certain priority dis-
eases or conditions, which may include epilepsy, mul-
tiple sclerosis-related spasticity, chemotherapy-in-
duced pain and discomfort, using cannabis as an al-
ternative to opioid analgesics for acute or chronic 
pain, sleep apnea, Tourette syndrome, anxiety, post- 
traumatic stress disorder, and any other disease or 
condition determined to be appropriate and of im-
portance by the Director. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:01 Aug 13, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8901.IH
H8901
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(2) The effect of cannabis on at-risk popu-
lations, including children, older individuals, and 
pregnant or breast-feeding women. 
‘‘(3) The nontherapeutic impacts of cannabis 
use in the short-term and long-term. 
‘‘(4) The long-term effects of cannabis use, in-
cluding dose-response relationship and the connec-
tion between cannabis use and behavioral health. 
‘‘(5) The clinically appropriate dosages and 
modes of delivery of cannabis. 
‘‘(6) Public safety considerations related to can-
nabis, including— 
‘‘(A) variation in the potency of cannabis 
products; 
‘‘(B) youth access to and use of cannabis, 
including marketing, packaging, edible formula-
tions, and flavor options that target youth; 
‘‘(C) risk factors for cannabis misuse; 
‘‘(D) impaired driving related to cannabis 
use; 
‘‘(E) accidental ingestion of cannabis; and 
‘‘(F) relative risk of cannabis as compared 
to alcohol and tobacco. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘can-
nabis’ means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:01 Aug 13, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8901.IH
H8901
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin ex-
tracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, 
manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of 
such plant, its seeds, or its resin.’’. 
(b) SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES.—Part A of title III 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 310C. SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES ON CANNABIS USE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary for 
Mental Health and Substance Use, the Administrator of 
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Di-
rector of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 
shall carry out surveillance activities to collect population- 
wide data on cannabis use. 
‘‘(b) PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out activities 
under this section, the Secretary may collect, as ap-
propriate, with respect to cannabis use— 
‘‘(A) data on— 
‘‘(i) health outcomes, including bio-
logical data; 
‘‘(ii) health care utilization, which 
shall include hospitalizations and utiliza-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:01 Aug 13, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8901.IH
H8901
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
tion of emergency departments related to 
consumption of cannabis, including among 
youth; 
‘‘(iii) demographic factors associated 
with cannabis use; 
‘‘(iv) the variety of products and deliv-
ery modes used; and 
‘‘(v) other relevant health information 
to improve the understanding of cannabis 
use in all age groups and sub-populations; 
and 
‘‘(B) data through public health surveil-
lance systems, surveys, questionnaires, and 
databases of health care records, including, as 
appropriate, the Behavioral Risk Factor Sur-
veillance System, the Youth Risk Behavioral 
Surveillance System, the Monitoring the Future 
health survey, the National Survey on Drug 
Use and Health, or the Healthcare Cost and 
Utilization Project (or any successor surveys). 
‘‘(2) PRIVACY.—Any data collected under para-
graph (1) shall be collected in a manner that pro-
tects personal privacy to the extent, at a minimum, 
that is required under applicable Federal and State 
law. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:01 Aug 13, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8901.IH
H8901
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB