Tuesday, 31 October 2017

Battelle Receives DEA Approval for Marijuana Research

T.R. Massey,

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Battelle announced today that it was awarded a Schedule I Researcher license by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), paving the way for the leading research and development organization to conduct marijuana research with human subjects.
“This new research license will allow us to better understand marijuana use and its impact on health.”
Battelle is one of only a few organizations with a Schedule I Researcher license in the United States that is not a university. The license enables the Battelle Center for Substance Use Research, located on the East Coast, to expand its research program to include marijuana, building on more than 50 years of experience studying the effects of tobacco product use.

Battelle’s research team includes leading experts in behavioral science, analytical and physical chemistry, pharmacology, psychology, and toxicology. Battelle will recruit adults who currently use marijuana to study various aspects of the drug’s effects.

“Marijuana use continues to increase among adults in the U.S., and there is a critical need for reliable research on its behavioral and physical effects,” said Erica Peters, Director of Battelle’s marijuana research program. “This new research license will allow us to better understand marijuana use and its impact on health.”

Schedule I substances are classified as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, making it difficult to conduct research. Initial research studies will examine whether there is a link between marijuana and tobacco use, and how people consume different tobacco products for smoking marijuana, including “blunts.”

The studies will use marijuana from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Drug Supply Program, which provides research-grade marijuana grown at the DEA-registered facility at the University of Mississippi. Battelle’s research will be performed at a highly-secure DEA-approved facility.

About Battelle
Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental industries. For more information, visit www.battelle.org.

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