Anti-Pot Legalization Group Pushes For More Marijuana Research

Anti-marijuana legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana made an unexpected move this week and

the Federal government to loosen the restrictions regarding scientific research into medial marijuana. The group, which is against the legalization of marijuana, says that more research is a necessary step in keeping marijuana from becoming a widely used drug, but still exploring its medical possibilities.

On Thursday, SAM cofounder and former US Congressman Patrick Kennedy presented the group's plan to lawmakers in Washington in hopes of gaining some support. The initiative includes relaxed regulations governing the entities allowed to grow marijuana used for federally sanctioned research as only the University of Mississippi has that privilege at the moment. The proposal also eliminates a mandatory Department of Health review that marijuana studies must undergo before being given the green light as the group said it is cumbersome and impedes the research process.

While calling for less marijuana restriction may seem counterintuitive for a group that opposes legalization, SAM says it is taking a logical position in between prohibition and full legalization. The group hopes to keep marijuana from becoming a big business like the tobacco industry, but has no interest in impeding medical innovation. Companies like

have been working to understand the benefits of cannabinoids to develop new drugs to treat things like childhood epilepsy, and SAM members say that's a good thing. The medical properties of marijuana can't be denied, so the group says that making medical marijuana research more readily available is an important step forward for the US.