Even with the DEA keeping cannabis as a Schedule 1 Drug, Washington State is going ahead with medical research anyway. Starting in January, the state will be accepting applications for grants on medical marijuana research, selected by a prestigious group of scientists and doctors. Cannabis has long been classified as a schedule 1 Drug, which has greatly hindered research throughout the years and the difficulty has reached a boiling point. Washington has decided to take matters into its own hands and create a state sponsored license, bypassing DEA regulations and the federal government.
The team that will be accepting and selecting the applicants for grants are researchers from The University of Washington and the Washington State University. This panel will be under the scrutiny of the Liquor Control Board and will be crucial in building a regulatory framework and the scientific guidelines for the research on cannabis. Essentially this means The State of Washington has told the federal government to “frick off,” and we are unsure of exactly what response the state will receive due to this act of disobedience.
For years, we have not had enough research to give the government reason to open up funding and accessibility to cannabis and its medicinal uses. With the creation of this scientific review board and new license, the gate is now open to supplies of the plant and the monetary resources necessary to generate the research needed. This truly benefits everybody; economically and medically. With the potential addition of this mountain of information, legislators will be able to now create a sound and scientifically back policy regarding cannabis.
This whole situation is a win-win for everyone, of course everyone wants to make a buck but helping people with degenrative diseases that benefit greatly from cannabis is the most important part of being in this business.
