Is medical marijuana really a medicine? Is it a drug? A dietary supplement? The definition is opaque, both scientifically and politically. But scientists and policymakers took steps this week that will let researchers more closely investigate the drug's potential medical value.
On Monday, the Obama administration banished a longstanding mandatory review of marijuana research proposals by the Public Health Service, effective immediately. Supporters of the decision said the review was merely a needless extra hurdle for scientists, and in some cases those who submitted proposals waited months or years to hear back.
