Pubdate: Tue, 13 Dec 2005
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2005 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Author: Associated Press
Related: http://www.aclu.org/medicalmarijuana
Related: The MAPS/Craker/DEA legal hearing document register 
http://www.maps.org/mmj/legal/craker-dea/index.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Lyle+Craker
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

UMass Pot Prof:

FEDS' WEED NOT STONY ENOUGH FOR HIGH-LEVEL RESEARCH

WASHINGTON - Put this in your pipe and smoke it: A University of
Massachusetts professor says the medical marijuana grown by the
federal  government isn't very good. He wants a permit to grow his
own pot, saying it  will be better for research.

Lyle Craker, a  horticulturist who heads the school's medicinal
plant program, is challenging  the feds' monopoly on legal pot for
research. A lawsuit by Craker claims  government weed lacks the
potency medical researchers need. "The  government's marijuana
just isn't strong enough," said Richard Doblin, a Craker
supporter who heads the Massachusetts-based Multidisciplinary
Association for  Psychedelic Studies.

A hearing at the  Drug Enforcement Administration is under way this
week. Craker alleges there  isn't enough pot for scientists across
the country to work with. The DEA  contends permitting other growers
would lead to greater illegal use of the drug  and that international
treaties limit the United States to one pot production  facility. A
University of Mississippi lab is the only federally licensed
marijuana-growing facility. DEA attorneys said it provides plenty of
good pot  for researchers.

"Whatever  material is needed could be provided under (the) process
that is already in  place," said Professor Mahmoud ElSohly, who runs
the cultivation program,  including a 1,200-square-foot "growing
room" and a stockpile of about a metric  ton. "We have quite a bit
of inventory," ElSohly said.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake