SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medical Marijuana Re-
search Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FACILITATING MARIJUANA RESEARCH. 
(a) PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY.—The Secretary of 
Health and Human Services— 
(1) until the date on which the Secretary deter-
mines that manufacturers and distributors (other 
than the Federal Government) can ensure a suffi-
cient supply of marijuana (as defined in section 102 
of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802), 
as amended by section 8) intended for research by 
qualified marijuana researchers registered pursuant 
to paragraph (3) of section 303(f) of the Controlled 
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 823(f)), as added by sec-
tion 3, shall— 
(A) continue, through grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements, to produce marijuana 
through the National Institute on Drug Abuse 
Drug Supply Program; 
(B) not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, act jointly with the 
Attorney General of the United States to estab-
lish and implement a specialized process for 
manufacturers 
and 
distributors, 
notwith-
standing the registration requirements of sec-
tion 303 of such Act (21 U.S.C. 823), to supply 
qualified marijuana researchers with marijuana 
products— 
(i) available through State-authorized 
marijuana programs; and 
(ii) consistent with the guidance 
issued under subsection (c); and 
(C) not later than 60 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, jointly convene with 
the Attorney General a meeting to initiate the 
development of the specialized process described 
in subparagraph (B); and 
(2) beyond the date specified in paragraph (1), 
may, at the Secretary’s discretion, continue— 
(A) through grants, contracts, or coopera-
tive agreements, to so produce marijuana; and 
(B) to implement such specialized process. 
(b) REQUIREMENT TO VERIFY REGISTRATION.—Be-
fore supplying marijuana to any person through the Na-
tional Institute on Drug Abuse Drug Supply Program or 
through implementation of the specialized process estab-
lished under subsection (a)(1)(B), the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall— 
(1) require the person to submit documentation 
demonstrating that the person is a qualified mari-
juana researcher seeking to conduct research pursu-
ant to section 303(f)(3) of the Controlled Substances 
Act, as added by subsection (d) of this section, or 
a manufacturer duly registered under section 303(l) 
of the Controlled Substances Act, as added by sec-
tion 3 of this Act; and 
(2) not later than 60 days after receipt of such 
documentation, review such documentation and 
verify that the marijuana will be used for such re-
search (and for no other purpose authorized pursu-
ant to this Act or the amendments made by this 
Act). 
(c) GUIDANCE
ON
USE
OF
STATE-AUTHORIZED 
MARIJUANA PROGRAMS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall issue guidance related 
to marijuana from State-authorized marijuana programs 
for research. 
(d) RESEARCH.—Section 303(f) of the Controlled 
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 823(f)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
(5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively; 
(2) by striking ‘‘(f) The Attorney General’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(f)(1) The Attorney General’’;
(3) by striking ‘‘Registration applications’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) Registration applications’’; 
(4) in paragraph (2), as so designated, by strik-
ing ‘‘schedule I’’ each place that term appears and 
inserting ‘‘schedule I, except marijuana,’’; 
(5) by striking ‘‘Article 7’’ and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(4) Article 7’’; and 
(6) by inserting before paragraph (4), as so 
designated, the following: 
‘‘(3)(A) The Attorney General shall register the ap-
plicant to conduct research with marijuana if— 
‘‘(i) the applicant is authorized to dispense, or 
conduct research with respect to, controlled sub-
stances in schedule I, II, III, IV, or V; 
‘‘(ii) the applicant is compliant with, and au-
thorized to conduct the activities described in clause 
(i) under, the laws of the State in which the appli-
cant practices; and 
‘‘(iii) in the case of an applicant pursuing clin-
ical research, the applicant’s clinical research pro-
tocol has been reviewed and authorized to proceed by 
the Secretary under section 505(i) of the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
‘‘(B) An applicant registered under subparagraph (A) 
shall be referred to in this section as a ‘qualified mari-
juana researcher’. 
‘‘(C)(i) Not later than 60 days after the date on 
which the Attorney General receives a complete applica-
tion for registration under this paragraph, the Attorney 
General shall approve or deny the application. 
‘‘(ii) For purposes of clause (i), an application shall 
be deemed complete when the applicant has submitted 
documentation showing that the requirements under sub-
paragraph (A) are satisfied. 
‘‘(iii) In the case of a denial under clause (i), the At-
torney General shall provide a written explanation of the 
basis for the denial. 
‘‘(D) The Attorney General shall grant an application 
for registration under this paragraph unless the Attorney 
General determines that the issuance of the registration 
would be inconsistent with the public interest. In deter-
mining the public interest, the following factors shall be 
considered: 
‘‘(i) The applicant’s experience in dispensing, or 
conducting research with respect to, controlled sub-
stances.
‘‘(ii) The applicant’s conviction record under 
Federal or State laws relating to the manufacture, 
distribution, or dispensing of controlled substances. 
‘‘(iii) Compliance with applicable State or local 
laws relating to controlled substance misuse or diver-
sion. 
‘‘(iv) Such other conduct which may threaten 
the public health and safety. 
‘‘(E)(i) A qualified marijuana researcher shall store 
marijuana to be used in research in a securely locked, sub-
stantially constructed cabinet. 
‘‘(ii) Except as provided in clause (i), any security 
measures required by the Attorney General for applicants 
conducting research with marijuana pursuant to a reg-
istration under this paragraph shall be consistent with the 
security measures for applicants conducting research on 
other controlled substances in schedule II that have a 
similar risk of diversion and abuse. 
‘‘(F)(i) If the Attorney General grants an application 
for registration under this paragraph, the applicant may 
amend or supplement the research protocol and proceed 
with the research under such amended or supplemented 
protocol, without additional review or approval by the At-
torney General or the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services if the applicant does not change the type of mari-