NYT: Obama Administration Rule Will Allow More Pot Research

The Obama administration is expected to allow more medical marijuana research, underscoring President Barack Obama's belief that the drug is on par with alcohol in terms of its dangers.

According to The New York Times, the administration will grant more universities the power to grow and study the drug as researchers try to determine whether its medical claims are truly valid. Right now, only the University of Mississippi conducts marijuana research.

Medical marijuana use is currently legal in 25 states.

"It will create a supply of research-grade marijuana that is diverse, but more importantly, it will be competitive and you will have growers motivated to meet the demand of researchers," John Hudak of the Brookings Institution told the Times.

The new policy of allowing more marijuana research facilities could become official Thursday, courtesy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Times reports.

Nine states are scheduled to vote on legalizing marijuana in November. Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada will vote on the drug's recreational use, while Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and Missouri will weigh in on its medical use.

A new Gallup survey found that more American adults are using marijuana than three years ago.

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