The studies related to marijuana for scientific and medical purposes are getting closer to expanding their resources as the federal government has processed a dozen pending application of marijuana cultivation. This decision has come after a long delay and various lawsuits against the agency by one cannabis researcher.
“I am pleased that DEA is moving forward with its review of applications for those who seek to grow marijuana legally to support research,” said Attorney General William Barr in the statement on Monday. At present University of Mississippi is the only place from where scientist could get legalized marijuana which is needed for rigorous study and research.”This arrangement, which has existed for more than 50 years, amounts to a “monopoly,” says Dr. Sue Sisley who heads the Scottsdale Research Institute in Arizona, which studies cannabis.
This limitation of getting cannabis from one grower was announced in 2016. Over 30 organizations including Sisley had applied for license to grow cannabis. The new decision came just before the deadline set by the court. In its new filing, a new set of rules will be announced regarding the growing of marijuana for medical purposes.
“Since the announcement appears to be in response to pending litigation, it’s more likely that they will actually begin to move on this, in response to the pressure from the courts,” University of Washington School of Law professor Karen Boxx said via email.
Members of Congress has taken a keen interest in this issue recently a bipartisan group of 30 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to Barr and the DEA’s acting administrator, Uttam Dhillon, asking to do all the necessary things to speed up the process. “We haven’t really won anything until scientists are finally utilizing real-world cannabis flower in their clinical trials,” Sisley says. Scientist are trying their best to find out more medicinal qualities of marijuana
