BREAKING NEWS

Clinton seeks looser marijuana rules to spur research

WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton on Saturday called for looser federal regulations governing marijuana, to boost scientific research on a drug that many tout for relieving pain, among other medical benefits, according to media reports.
Speaking at a campaign event in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the Democratic presidential candidate said changing US rules would acknowledge the drug's potential for medical uses and give scientists access to the drug for further investigation.
"Universities, (the) National Institutes of Health can start researching what is the best way to use it, how much of a dose does somebody need, how does it interact with other medications," Clinton said, according to CNN.
Specifically, Clinton called for moving marijuana to Schedule 2 from Schedule 1 under the US Drug Enforcement Administration. DEA's five levels of "drug scheduling" affect access as well as criminal prosecutions.
Drugs deemed Schedule 1 have "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" and "are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules," according to the DEA. A Schedule 2 drug is still "considered dangerous," it has said, and includes oxycodone and cocaine.