Proposed Congressional Amendments Seek to Eliminate Marijuana Testing for Federal Job Applicants and Foster Psychedelic Research.

Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Introduce Marijuana and Psychedelics Amendments in Major Spending Bills, Including Measures to Cease Marijuana Testing for Federal Job Applicants.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) has presented two similar cannabis proposals as part of distinct appropriations bills, specifically the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies (MilCon/VA) bill and the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies bill. These amendments aim to block the utilization of funds for drug testing applicants for cannabis in most agencies falling under the purview of the legislation.?

Furthermore, there exists an additional amendment to the MilCon/VA bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA), which aims to encourage the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct "large-scale studies" on substances such as psilocybin and MDMA. These drugs have been designated as "breakthrough therapies" by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Both Reps. Bergman and Correa are also the founding co-chairs of a congressional psychedelics caucus, which actively advocates for research into entheogenic substances.

As for Rep. Robert Garcia's cannabis measures, they are designed to prohibit THC drug testing for job applicants in relevant federal agencies, with the exception of "positions listed as Presumptive Testing Designated Positions by the Selection of Testing Designated Positions Guidance under Federal Drug-Free Workplace Program."?

Interestingly, the proposals have raised curiosity as they solely target specific states, such as Tennessee and Texas, which have extremely limited low-THC medical cannabis programs. Strikingly, these amendments exclude other states, like Ohio and Pennsylvania, which have more comprehensive medical marijuana laws.

In a previous instance this month, Rep. Robert Garcia also submitted an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with the aim of preventing security clearance denials for federal workers based on prior cannabis use. Regrettably, this proposal, along with more than a dozen other drug policy reform amendments presented by bipartisan lawmakers, faced obstruction from the GOP-controlled House Rules Committee. The committee holds the authority to determine whether these new amendments can proceed to receive floor votes.?

Regarding the Bergman-Correa legislation, it intriguingly omits explicit mention of psychedelics and instead employs a common appropriations tactic. The bill simultaneously increases and decreases funding in an unrelated section of the legislation. This approach is often utilized by lawmakers to convey a message to federal agencies about their priorities without directly altering the legislative text.

As per the summary provided by the Rules Committee, the proposal aims to both increase and decrease funding in the Medical and Prosthetic Research account at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This allocation adjustment intends to ensure that the VA conducts extensive studies on the effectiveness of drugs designated as FDA Breakthrough Therapies in treating post-traumatic stress disorder through VA-administered drug-assisted therapy trials.

Notably, the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy status to psilocybin and MDMA.

Reps. Lou Correa and Jack Bergman have been actively advocating for the streamlining of studies focused on developing psychedelic-based therapies. They have recently highlighted the release of new FDA guidance for researchers interested in exploring this subject, demonstrating their commitment to advancing research in this field.?

The three measures, which complement other amendments addressing medical cannabis recommendations for military veterans and were introduced separately by different groups of bipartisan lawmakers on the VA spending bill, must go through the House Rules Committee for prioritization if they are to be considered on the floor. However, considering the recent events concerning the NDAA drug policy amendments, it remains uncertain whether the leadership will permit their advancement. ?The committee has not yet set a date for the meeting to review the two specific spending bills.

Meanwhile, Democratic senators are pushing for a series of marijuana reform amendments to be included in their version of the NDAA.

One of these proposals, spearheaded by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), aims to grant veterans the ability to utilize medical cannabis in states and territories where it is legal. This mirrors a standalone bill that Sen. Schatz introduced earlier in April.

The amendment goes further to safeguard physicians who engage in discussions and complete necessary paperwork to recommend medical marijuana for veterans. Additionally, it mandates the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide support for clinical trials investigating the therapeutic potential of cannabis in treating conditions like pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which often affect veterans.

At present, it remains uncertain whether Senate Democrats and Republicans will reach a consensus on incorporating any of these amendments into the final bill. Furthermore, there's uncertainty about whether the GOP-controlled House would be willing to accept these amendments if they are eventually attached on the Senate side.

Additionally, the Senate Appropriations Committee recently passed an amendment that permits VA doctors to provide medical cannabis recommendations. Furthermore, the committee released a report accompanying the relevant spending bill, urging the department to enable easier access to medical marijuana for veterans and to delve into the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.

Both House and Senate appropriators have given their approval to substantial annual spending bills that, once again, incorporate provisions safeguarding state medical cannabis programs. However, these bills also include a contentious rider, aimed at preventing Washington, D.C. from establishing a regulated system for marijuana sales.

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