DEA decreases amount of cannabis for federal research

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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) intends to decrease the amount of cannabis  it allocates for federally approved research.

The DEA has released its proposed 2018 aggregate production quotas for substances which fall under heavy restriction as Schedule I and II in the federal drug classification. APQs are set to meet estimated needs for research and industrial purposes.

The upcoming quota proposal calls for a reduction of opioid painkillers and cannabis, according to a notice published Friday in the Federal Register.

The proposed production quotas for cannabis are 443,680 grams (about 978 pounds), down from 472,000 grams (about 1,040 pounds) in 2017, according to the notice. The quotas for THC were reduced to 384,460 grams (about 848 pounds), from 409,000 grams (about 902 pounds) in 2017.

One year ago, the DEA announced it would reduce research barriers and allow more entities to conduct federally approved research projects on cannabis. In the past, researchers have expressed concern about the quality of government-provided stock and said it does not accurately reflect products sold in dispensaries.