Congresswoman Dina Titus and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Democratic Co-Chairs of the Cannabis Caucus, introduced the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025.
Under current law, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is prohibited from spending on or sponsoring any research related to the medical or recreational use of a Schedule 1 substance. Additionally, the Director of the ONDCP must oppose any attempt to legalize a substance that is listed under Schedule 1 and has not been approved for a medical purpose by the Food and Drug Administration.
The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act removes these restrictions, allowing the executive branch’s drug policy advisor to take actions reflecting the current use of cannabis in the United States. This outdated prohibition is not based on science or reality. Removing this restriction would allow the ONDCP to conduct essential public policy analyses on states’ adult-use and medicinal cannabis programs and sponsor medical research on the benefits of cannabis. A 2024 National Academies study entitled, “Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity”, specifically recommended Congress remove these restrictions so that ONDCP can support research on the impacts of changes in cannabis policy.
“The Office of National Drug Control Policy and its Director should be free to sponsor research or speak about substances like cannabis based on evidence and research,” said Titus. “Statutory restrictions on what can be studied and a mandate to oppose any attempts to reschedule substances like cannabis make no sense. It’s time to update the law to reflect the current use of cannabis in the United States and its medical benefits. The federal government needs to catch up to the states.”
“Our nation’s drug policies have been shaped by stigma. The American people overwhelmingly support cannabis reform, and yet the federal government continues to tie the hands of its own experts,” said Omar. “The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act is about bringing our laws into the 21st century, ensuring that the Office of National Drug Control Policy can do its job guided by facts, not outdated ideology. We need drug policy to follow the science and reflect the reality on the ground in states across the country.”
The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 is supported by the Drug Policy Alliance, the Nevada Cannabis Association, the National Cannabis Industry Association, the UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute, NORML, the Marijuana Policy Project, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the Parabola Center for Law and Policy, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, the US Cannabis Roundtable, Cannabis Regulators of Color, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Minority Cannabis Business Association, and the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association.
