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Committee hears UNR request to repeal unused medical-cannabis research reporting requirements
Summary
University of Nevada, Reno told the committee that UNR School of Medicine has not performed medical-cannabis research and seeks statutory repeal of quarterly reporting requirements; witnesses said no grant funds or research activities exist under the current authority.
The Senate Government Affairs Committee considered Assembly Bill 365, a cleanup bill that would repeal statutory reporting requirements tied to evaluation and research of medical cannabis at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med).
Sheila Bray of UNR told the committee that UNR Med “is not conducting any research on medical cannabis.” She explained that the reporting requirement — preparation and presentation of quarterly reports to the Interim Finance Committee — was created by earlier legislation but has produced no activity because UNR Med has not initiated the research program the statute contemplated. Bray said the repeal would eliminate “an undue burden of preparing and presenting quarterly reports with no activity in which to report.”
Senators asked whether UNR Med ever obtained grants or established a balance in an account for this work. Bray said she believed the school did not receive any grants or deposits for the program and agreed to double-check and report back if any funds were found.
Alejandro Rodriguez, director of government relations for the Nevada System of Higher Education, testified in support of the bill on behalf of the university system. The committee recorded no opposition or neutral testimony and closed the hearing without a vote.
Testimony in committee emphasized that the bill is housekeeping: it removes statutory duties that UNR Med does not currently perform and for which no research activity or funding has been reported to the committee.
