Umass Professor calls it quits after a ten year request to grow medical marijuana

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By Justine Judge
Story Published: Mar 4, 2011 at 5:13 PM EST

(Story Updated: Mar 4, 2011 at 5:13 PM EST )
Horticulturist and professor at UMass, Lyle Craker says he’s disappointed in the system. In 2001, he submitted an application to the Drug Enforcement Administration seeking permission to grow medical marijuana in bulk at the University. Craker says he wanted to be able to grow it so that it could then be distributed to medical doctors for clinical trials. Ten years later, he’s no closer to his goal. The DEA says, facilities like the one Craker has proposed would lead to greater illegal use of the drug.

Craker says “They are looking at it believing anyone growing any kind of marijuana is solely for recreational purposes and there is no medicinal value. So, they’ve been very forceful on this.”

But, Craker disagrees. Saying, if he had been allowed to grow marijuana it would have been under tight security.

Craker says “That would all be locked. There would be cameras, video cameras to monitor who went in and who went out. There would be special locks for only certain combinations or finger prints who would be allowed in. So, I think we were well versed on how to keep this material from getting to anybody else.”

But, with no end in sight, Craker says it’s best to drop the case. He says who he really feel sorry for are the people who write to him about their terminally sick loved ones whose only source of comfort comes from marijuana.

Craker “I feel sorry for those people because they ask me, why do I have to go to a back alley to get medicine. And, that’s a good question I think.”

Currently there are 15 states that allow the use of medical marijuana.

1 COMMENT

  1. the DEA is just so stubborn. How is it that we are supposed to prove the benefits of cannabis if we are not even allowed to conduct medical trials in a controlled environment? Absolutely ridiculous

  2. The DEA is nothing more that a protection racket for organized crime. As you know, it’s difficult dealing with criminals because they want all the money for them selves,,, same old status quo US Government overstepping[trampling] the constitution.

    We should march on Washington DC to end the DEA and legalize all drugs, spend the enforcement money on treatment for those that might need it.

  3. Would you hire a former DEA agent hell no not even to clean toilet they will never ever make the kind of money any where else and they are scared there jobs will end soon

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