The National Institute on Drug Abuse just approved a groundbreaking study that will focus on the effects of marijuana in veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
But now it needs final approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration — which has a long history of blocking research. The DEA can let the study move forward, cause lengthy delays or block it from even happening at all.
The DEA is notorious for undermining efforts to simply study the medical benefits of marijuana by ignoring decades of scientific studies, blocking research, and issuing outright lies about marijuana. The DEA’s actions have shown us that it will do anything to maintain the drug war status quo.
Twenty states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana — bringing relief to seriously ill people all over the country. However, due to political ideology, it has been almost impossible for scientists to study the medical benefits of marijuana. But now there’s hope that this situation is changing.
As public support for marijuana law reform grows, patients and scientists are increasingly challenging the federal government to stop creating barriers to research marijuana.
