Congress Passed a Medical Marijuana Research Bill, but This Colorado Lab Has Already StartedPosted by MMP News AuthorOn December 16, 2022

Cannabis studies have come a long way in the past decade, but acquiring a federal permit for clinical trials is still a major pain for prospective researchers. And even if the permit is approved, they still need to procure cannabis to study, which isn’t easy to come by.

Some of those barriers will go down now that Congress has passed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, a bill that is supposed to enable more cannabis production for research purposes. But the DEA moves at a snail’s pace when education and reform are on the line. Denver’s own Bud & Mary’s (previously MedPharm holdings) has been waiting for well over a year on a DEA application to grow cannabis for federally approved research purposes, despite having received state permits years ago, and it’s the only facility in Colorado currently with DEA approval to study medical marijuana.

But slow motion is better than no motion, according to Bud & Mary’s CEO Albert Gutierrez, who says that taking time with each licensing step will eventually lead to more effective and safe cannabis products from Bud & Mary’s brands. We checked in with Gutierrez to learn more about the process of federal cannabis research, how the new act affects Bud & Mary’s, and what sort of research is going on at his facility.

Westword: Why aren’t there many cannabis research facilities in Colorado right now? According to state records, you’re the only one.

Albert Gutierrez: Creating the framework for research has always been…