The DEA wanted new suppliers of marijuana for research. Two years later, nothing has changed

The DEA made an announcement 2 years ago that they were open to expanding on the number of government approved cannabis cultivators who grow for scientific research. In the last two years there have been almost no developments in that process and many are beginning to question if the DEA is doing anything about it at all. Within the first year of the announcement they received over 25 applications from growers eager to help expand government research, but those applications have yet to receive a response. Later the agency stopped accepting applications and told those seeking information to ask the Justice Department, who did not have a comment to give reporters. Currently there is only 1 cultivation site in Missisissippi and researchers have claimed that the quality of the cannabis is subpar, making the data inconsistent with the expanding cannabis market around the U.S. In April Attorney General Sessions announced that "we are moving forward..." but had little else information to add. 

It’s not clear whether any progress is being made toward approving another purveyor. The Washington Post reported last year that the Justice Department, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, had stopped the DEA from approving an application to cultivate cannabis. Since then, however, Sessions has indicated some willingness to proceed in response to questions from lawmakers.