The federal government recently renewed its agreement with the University of Mississippi to grow medical marijuana for research and distribution to the four remaining medical marijuana patients in the federal program. The federal government has been growing medical marijuana this way for decades now. This has always seemed hypocritical considering that the federal government’s official stance is that marijuana has no medical value, which is why it is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance.
At the beginning of each year, the federal government estimates how much medical marijuana it will grow. Last year the federal government has ramped up production. It sounds like the same thing will happen this year. Per Tom Angell’s article on Marijuana.Com:
In a proposal that will published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, DEA Administrator Michele Lenohart says that since first signing off on a plan for the feds to produce 125,000 grams of marijuana in 2015, the agency has become aware that “research and product development involving cannabidiol [CBD] is increasing beyond that previously anticipated.”
Interest in CBD-rich strains of marijuana has skyrocketed as media coverage featuring children who use the drug to treat severe epilepsy has spurred a growing number of states to pass laws allowing for limited access.
DEA now says the feds should produce 400,000 grams of marijuana this year, more than three times what it initially anticipated.
The fact that the federal government grows medical marijuana, and distributes it, but busts others for doing the same is unacceptable. If the feds can do it, other should also be allowed to do it if they live in a state that has a legal medical marijuana program. There is also no logical reason why marijuana should be classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. There is currently federal legislation that would make significant reforms to medical marijuana laws. I encourage you to talk to your federal Reps and Senators about supporting reform.
