White House Moves To Make Marijuana Research Easier

Researchers are hailing a decision by the Obama Administration to simplify a cumbersome review process that will make studying the medicinal benefits of marijuana easier. 

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday it will drop a layer of the review process called a Public Health Service review. It was a panel charged with checking patient safety protocols and dosage guidelines, among other things. 

That’s something other federal agencies already do, and researchers claimed the panel was simply stonewalling studies.

While scientists applauded the move, they warned other obstacles remain, particularly in obtaining marijuana from federal law enforcement to conduct studies.