Report: DEA Has Impeded Much-Needed Research into Medical Benefits of Marijuana for Years

Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The DEA has obstructed research into the medical benefits of marijuana in an attempt to keep the drug from being reclassified, according to a new report, AlJazeera reports.

“The DEA impedes research by abusing its discretionary powers over the scheduling process, making it difficult to obtain marijuana for research purposes.

We recommend taking away the DEA’s power over drug scheduling and access to drugs for research,” Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), said Wednesday during a teleconference.

The report, “The DEA: Four Decades of Impending and Rejecting Science,” urges the DEA to end its objections to marijuana research that could be used to help patients in need.

“The DEA has created a Catch-22 — saying that the FDA didn’t approve marijuana therefore it’s bogus, while at the same time obstructing FDA research necessary for approval,” Jag Davies, publications manager for DPA, said.

Despite impeding research, the DEA continues to insist that there’s not enough evidence to support rescheduling marijuana to Schedule 2, a move that would allow for medical use.

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