The unofficial pot-smoking holiday of April 20 may be over, but marijuana advocates got another reason to celebrate on Thursday. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for the first time approved smoking marijuana as legitimate medical research.

The DEA green-lit a clinical trial of smoked marijuana for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in American military veterans, a spokesperson for the government agency confirmed to Fortune. While other trials have studied the medical benefits of marijuana and cannabis extracts like cannabidiol, this is the first time regulators have allowed testing of the marijuana plant itself for the purpose of developing it into a legal medical drug.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), an organization researching legal uses for marijuana and other mind-altering drugs, is conducting the trial, which is funded by a $2.2 million grant from Colorado’s state health department. MAPS had worked for more than five years to obtain clearance from regulators to use pot in the trial; while it received the OK from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011 and from the U.S. Public Health Service in 2014, it still had to wait for the DEA’s approval in order to proceed.

The DEA’s decision marks a major shift in policy for the agency, which has long resisted the legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, and has also denied the medicinal potential of pot. Just six months ago in November, DEA head Chuck Rosenberg dismissed the concept of medical marijuana as “a joke,” according to CBS News. “What really bothers me is the notion that marijuana is also medicinal--because it’s not,” he said. “If you talk about smoking the leaf of marijuana--which is what people are talking about when they talk about medicinal marijuana--it has never been shown to be safe or effective as a medicine.”

Since then, however, the DEA has apparently had a change of heart, indicating earlier this month that it is considering whether to reclassify marijuana from its current category--the same one as heroin and LSD--into a lower one alongside less dangerous drugs. So far, DEA has not rejected any research studies involving marijuana products that met FDA standards, the agency’s spokesperson added. To date, 24 states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, but the DEA still considers weed illegal on a federal level.

http://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/dea-just-approved-way-smoke-225735381.html

Rome didn't fall in a day

they are way out of their Depth anyway!
They are a Law-enforcement-Agency,not a Legislating Body!

The 80 year drug war by USGOV had been a waste of money. Drugs still get in and they bankrupt our nation.
Need a new plan.

you can expect to see changes in the next 50 years because not even the government can raise enough money to force americans to forever keep their eyes closed to the fact that they built a house of cards in the name of commercial gain. (for themselves)

They have no jurisdiction what so ever to summarily outlaw any drug if the result does not 'injure' THEM. Hence their need for ohaha care, to gain control for the purpose of giving the state an 'interest' in what you can eat on the heels of stealing burzynkis antineoplaston cancer cure patents! Oh yeh they see the writing on the wall and are way out front in their planning for the next round.

Its a chess game, they are 3 steps ahead with their unconstitutional lawmaking, but people are waking up fast to the abuse.

Religion, speech, arms etc, all are outside the jurisdiction of government, acknowledged as bonafide claim of right, and not 'under' the constitution but reserved and set apart from it. No authority has been granted to interfere the peoples reserved rights.

* I thought it was legal *

* Oh! That is the U.S.

* "marijuana for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in American military veterans" (smiles) o.k.

It seems I spend more time on a forum correcting everyone errors.

try this on for size:


U.S. Troops Patrolling Poppy Fields In Afghanistan (Photos)
Posted on October 18, 2012 by WashingtonsBlog
Are American Troops Protecting Afghan Opium?

Preface: As many have noted, the U.S. government has – at least at some times in some parts of the world – protected drug operations. (Big American banks also launder money for drug cartels. See this, this, this and this. Indeed, drug dealers kept the banking system afloat during the depths of the 2008 financial crisis. But that’s beyond the scope of this post.)

The U.S. military has openly said that it is protecting Afghani poppy fields:


http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/10/14066.html


Those dastardly taliban were burning our profits!


The object is to keep prices high and the monopoly tight. Who? this is a CIA pet money laundering project.


The Real Drug Lords: A brief history of CIA involvement in the Drug Trade

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-real-drug-lords-a-brief-history-of-cia-involvement-in-the-drug-trade/10013

Big Banks Started Laundering Massive Sums of Drug Money In the 1980s … And Are Still Doing It Today

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/05/u-s-banks-started-laundering-drug-money-decades-ago-still-today.html

*"DEA takes first steps to "legalize" weed"

** This could harm Canadian exports to the U.S.
* Certified Canadian and Safe Quality Controlled.
(not like that cheap u.s. wild stuff)

the canucks do have some good weed... but most everything down here is hydro now anyway, hard to find the dirt weed anymore... but feel free to bring a pound or two when you visit Houston, i can help you get rid of it...

* Your Free samples could start a Canada/United States government drug war for market dominance.

who said anything about free?

* Canada National Health Care / Free in Canada
** Just add "shipping and handling charges to the U.S.

with obamacare, it's triple the price... but you can* keep your same supplier...

* see website for details...

Alaska and Canada has some of the best ever produced..
I think we were some of the first that went hydro and grafting blends to make it the best.


DEA needs to make it legal and to start taxing the growers...

Legalize it and stop wasting my tax paying money

* Taxing growers... That is going a bit to far

Rain

nope it is still work as i always needing your hat XD you don't want to see those D.bull running everywhere won't you? and the whole immigration team fill with the mighty lord of lala scence.....HooooWeeeee......i bet 1 dolar the alduts never get it........"and some of em thirsty for the cashes"~~~~~ Ar~~~~~~~~~~~mommy~~~~~~~~~no one will gona be junk again as DEA republic~~~~~~

i thought it was legal up there?