A number of states have handed over cannabis data to the US Government in view of the upcoming cannabis rescheduling review ordered by President Biden in 2022.
The news follows the recent announcement from the US Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, who recently stated he believes the the review will be completed this year.
According to MJ Biz Daily, at least five states with medical cannabis programmes – including Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Utah – have handed the data over to the Biden administration.
Experts informed the publication that the data gives federal researchers a deeper look into “cannabis use and its medical potential than most peer-reviewed studies available to researchers”.
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While many states have legalised cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes, the federal illegality of the plant is hindering state cannabis industry. If the review leads to the rescheduling of cannabis, it would enable interstate commerce and tax relief for cannabis businesses.
Data includes information such as cannabis wholesale value, retail items sold, retail weight, retail value, tax revenue, social equity policy achievements and medical use information, among other data.
Research manager at Minnesota’s Department of Public Health’s Office of Medical Cannabis, David Rak, told MJBizDaily: “We shared a subset of our data – minus any identifying information – with the FDA. We collect data from our patients every time they go to make a purchase at a dispensary (Patient Self Evaluation), and offer an optional survey at fixed intervals (Patient Experience Survey). So, we have a fair amount of data to analyse.”
