US Senators Press Federal Agencies to Remove Political Barriers to Medical Marijuana Research

FDA and NIDA officials express support for ending NIDA’s DEA-mandated monopoly on marijuana available for research purposes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — At a hearing Wednesday, Sens. Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand pressed federal officials to eliminate political barriers that are preventing research on the potential medical benefits of marijuana. The hearing, “Cannabidiol: Barriers to Research and Potential Medical Benefits,” was held by the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.

Officials from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) echoed the senators’ concerns and expressed support for removing barriers to research that have been created by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

NIDA has a DEA-mandated monopoly on the…