A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced legislation they say would make it easier for researchers to study the “medical effectiveness and safety” of marijuana.

In the Senate, Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are backing the Marijuana Effective Drug Studies Act of 2016.

According to Schatz’s office, similar legislation is being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Andy Harris (R-Md.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), H. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) and Sam Farr (D-Calif.).

“The medical community agrees that we need more research to learn about marijuana’s potential health benefits, but our federal laws today are standing in the way of that inquiry,” Schatz said in a statement. “The MEDS Act will remove excessive barriers that make it difficult for researchers to study the effectiveness and safety of marijuana, and hopefully, give patients more treatment options.”

Medical marijuana is legal in 25 states, including Hawaii, and the District of Columbia.

“However, there is a lack of research evaluating the benefits and risks of marijuana as a possible medication, in large part because of federal barriers that block valuable scientific and clinical research,” says Schatz’s office. “As a result, millions of Americans are utilizing a drug for medical purposes without scientific guidance with regards to its effectiveness, safety, dosing, route of administration, or standards for quality control.”

The MEDS Act is supported by groups including the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Pain Society and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.