The decision to keep marijuana in the same class of drugs as heroin and peyote comes amid growing national support for the legalization of marijuana. ___This story is corrected to show the research is done at the University of Mississippi, not the University of Missouri. Allowing for further research is the latest step forward in the federal government's evolving position on marijuana, although legalization advocates claim it doesn't go far enough. The DEA said the agency opted not to reclassify marijuana after a lengthy review and consultation with the Health and Human Services Department, which said marijuana "has a high potential for abuse" and "no accepted medical use." The DEA said it plans to make it easier for researchers to study marijuana's possible medical benefits by expanding the number of entities that can legally grow marijuana for research purposes.

Source: New Zealand Herald August 11, 2016 13:41 UTC