ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session
	House: HHS DP 9-0-0-0 | 3^rd Read 58-1-1-0 Senate: HHS DPA 6-2-0-0 | 3^rd Read 27-3-0-0

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HB 2298: medical marijuana; research; grants

Sponsor:  Representative Payne, LD 21

Senate Engrossed

Overview

Requires the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre (Centre) to provide grants for marijuana clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of using marijuana for medical purposes.

History

The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA) was established in 2020 though the voter-approved initiative measure Proposition 203. The Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) is required to regulate AMMA through rulemaking, registration and certification of medical marijuana dispensaries, registration of qualifying patients and designated caregivers, issuing or denying registry identification cards and establishing a verification system. Statute outlines AMMA limitations, requirements for dispensaries, definitions of terms relating to AMMA, guidelines on the dispensing of marijuana and the administration of the Medical Marijuana Fund (Fund).

The Fund consists of collected fees, imposed civil penalties and private donations received. DHS is required to administer the Fund and Fund monies are continuously appropriated. (A.R.S. § 36-2817).

The Centre was created by Arizona citizens to identify and support innovative biomedical research to improve the health of Arizona citizens. The Centre provides direct grants to biomedical researchers.

Provisions

1. Requires the Centre to provide grants from Fund monies for marijuana clinical trials approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the evaluation of the safety and efficacy of human marijuana use and research on the impacts of marijuana interactions with prescription, nonprescription and illicit drugs. (Sec. 1)

2. Requires the clinical trials to be:

a) Conducted by Arizona-based researchers from nonprofit organizations and universities;

b) Approved by the FDA, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and an institutional review board; and

c) Publishable in peer-reviewed medical and public health journals. (Sec. 1)

3. Directs the Centre to prioritize randomized controlled clinical trials that study the treatment of autism, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder and pain and the use of marijuana during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. (Sec. 1)

4. States that a grant recipient or a grant recipient's employees working on the clinical trial may not be charged with or prosecuted for possession of marijuana cultivated for medical use while working on the clinical trial. (Sec. 1)

5. Permits the Centre to provide up to $5,000,000 annually for five consecutive years from the Fund to administer and award competitive grants and specifies that the Centre may not use more than 5% of these monies for administrative purposes. (Sec. 1)

6. Allows Fund monies to be used to provide grants for marijuana clinical trials. (Sec. 2)

7. Amends statute to reflect the effective date of Proposition 207. (Sec. 2)

8. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 2)

9. Contains a Proposition 105 clause. (Sec. 3)

Senate Amendments

1. Deletes language requiring the Centre to prioritize clinical trials that study the use of marijuana during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

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5.                   HB 2298

6. Initials EB/IR         Page 0 Senate Engrossed

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