This article (PDF) comes from a peer-reviewed journal and with efficient detail describes the DEA’s and NIDA’s obstruction of medical marijuana research and the proposed MAPS-sponsored marijuana production facility at UMass Amherst. The author concludes that lengthy delays by the DEA “highlight the significance of the state-level medical marijuana movementWhile more people are able to obtain marijuana for treatment under some state laws, little research is being done to document the efficacy and safety of cannabis as a medicine.”