Senators Tell DEA to Remove Restrictions on Marijuana Research

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and other legislatures have requested a meeting with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to remove the barriers currently in place restricting research on medical marijuana.

Gillibrand’s website includes information from the request including a direct request for cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) removal from Schedule I status. Displaying that 42 U.S. states permit medical marijuana use in some form, should help sway the DEA. The group supporting the effort says that awareness regarding medicinal benefits of marijuana already exist and that expanded research needs to be completed.

The current monopoly on medical marijuana research programs leaves questions on the table for society and lawmakers. Only one license has been issued, to the University of Mississippi, to conduct research on marijuana in any capacity. The request sent by the group of senators and representatives requests additional licensing become available across the United States for additional human-based testing phases.

In the closing of the written request to the DEA, it says, “We also ask that you issue a public statement informing the research community that the DEA, in compliance with international obligations, will accept new applications to bulk manufacture cannabis for medical and scientific purposes to be approved on merit-based criteria.”

The request closes with, “In light of this new information, we look forward to your immediate action to remove these two administrative barriers to research. If you are not prepared to take action at this time, we request a personal meeting with you to discuss your reasons for not doing so.”

Lawmakers are putting the pressure on the DEA to make a decision, allow more research and to make necessary changes to the scheduling of marijuana.