(Columbus, OH) Some Ohio lawmakers want the feds to ease up on pot.
Medical marijuana is now legal in Ohio, but pot's presence on the federal government's list of most dangerous drugs is creating big problems in efforts to establish a growing and distribution system in the Buckeye state.
A law passed last year lists 21 medical conditions that qualify for medicinal pot if approved by a physician. But state lawmakers are finding problems because of the state-federal conflict: universities refusing to do research for fear of losing federal funds, how lawyers are to advice potential pot patients.
A Cleveland-area Democrat is leading an effort to ask federal regulators to lighten-up, asking Congress and the DEA to reclassify marijuana away from being a Class One narcotic. Backers say downgrading pot will help make it easier to research the drug and lift some of the burden on medical marijuana dispensaries.