DEA ends marijuana monopoly; some in Pa. eye a federal pot plantation

WASHINGTON - The federal government refused on Thursday to remove pot from its most dangerous narcotic classification, dismaying medical marijuana advocates and many state legislators around the country. But the Drug Enforcement Administration also said that it would end its decades-old monopoly on growing cannabis for research, a stance that has severely hampered scientific study.

The agency said it would begin allowing researchers and drug companies to use pot grown in places other than its single, well-secured facility at the University of Mississippi.

Some Pennsylvania legislators, citing provisions for aggressive academic research in the medical marijuana law signed by Gov. Wolf in April, would like to see a federal pot-growing operation land in the Keystone State.

Still, rejecting the petition to remove cannabis from its current classification - more dangerous than cocaine - got the most reaction.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D., Ore.), one of the most vocal proponents for legalization in Congress, called it "further evidence that the DEA doesn't get it. Keeping marijuana at Schedule 1 continues an outdated, failed approach - leaving patients and marijuana businesses trapped between state and federal laws."

John Hudak, a specialist on state and federal marijuana policy at the Brookings Institution, was not surprised. "The DEA is in the business of law enforcement, they're not about being kind and gentle when it comes to marijuana policy," he said.

The agency released a 186-page rebuttal to such arguments, in which it again laid out its rationale for finding that marijuana is particularly dangerous and has no accepted medical use. Key among its concerns is that there have been inadequate controlled scientific studies.

That could now change. The new policy aims to increase the amount and variety of marijuana available to scientists seeking to develop particular strains of the drug to treat ailments.

State Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery), a key sponsor of Pennsylvania's medical marijuana law and a proponent of legalization for recreational use, intends to lobby for one of the federal farms to be located in the state.

"The relaxation on research pairs perfectly with our medical marijuana program," Leach said. "No other state [law] has the research piece like Pennsylvania's."

A spokesman for Gov. Wolf said the administration needed time review the DEA ruling before inviting a federal pot plantation to set root in the state. Wolf, he said, applauded the Obama administration for removing some of the barriers to investigating cannabis.

Researchers have long complained that federal policy inhibits scientific breakthroughs on marijuana, forcing patients - and lawmakers - to rely on anecdotal evidence of the drug's curative qualities and undermining efforts to shape growing operations in order to develop strains that would most effectively treat illness.

For nearly 50 years, the University of Mississippi has had the sole contract for producing medical pot. Scientists seeking to research it had to obtain a special license.

The DEA acknowledged Thursday that recent studies suggest some of the cannabinoids in marijuana may help treat seizures and other neurological disorders.

The move to increase federally authorized marijuana growers is notable for a law enforcement agency that has long seemed out of step with the population.

The Justice Department has allowed states to move aggressively forward with legalization for both medical and recreational use, even as the DEA, one of its own agencies, continues to classify marijuana as Schedule 1.

Already, legal marijuana is a multibillion-dollar industry. It is projected to grow exponentially, and as it has, the conflicting state and federal laws governing its sale have created all manner of regulatory headaches.

Staff writer Sam Wood contributed to this article.

The Drug Enforcement Administration places substances in five categories based on acceptable medical use and potential for abuse and addiction.

Examples:

Schedule I: Heroin, marijuana, LSD, ecstasy, peyote.

Schedule II: Vicodin, cocaine, OxyContin, methamphetamine, Adderall, Ritalin.

Schedule III: Anabolic steroids, testosterone.

Schedule IV: Ambien, Valium, Xanax, Ativan.

Schedule V: Lomotil, Lyrica, Robitussin AC.