Officials from several federal health agencies convened this week at a conference aimed at exploring the landscape of cannabis science and policy challenges that researchers face in studying marijuana under ongoing federal prohibition.
The event, organized by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), came at a pivotal moment in view of President Biden’s mid-May announcement to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), making scientific research easier to undertake.
DEA Has Gone Missing
Notably absent from the conference was a representative from the DEA, who was scheduled to address cannabis policy and regulatory issues but, alas, canceled unexpectedly. The agency RSVPed that it could not attend the meeting.
DEA’s William Heuett conveyed a message stressing the agency’s commitment to assisting researchers through the registration process for studying Schedule I substances like cannabis.
Tension between the White House and …