A federal administrative law judge recommended this week that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) allow a University of Massachusetts botanist to grow marijuana to be used in medical studies, but it's unclear whether the DEA will heed the judge's advice, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Feb. 13.

Researchers who want to study marijuana have long been forced to rely on a low-quality supply of the drug grown under government contract at the University of Mississippi. But Judge Mary Ellen Bittner said that researcher Lyle Craker's application to provide a separate supply of marijuana to researchers "would be in the public interest."

"There is currently an inadequate supply of marijuana available for research purposes,'' said Bittner.

However, even though Bittner is affiliated with the DEA, the agency has long supported the current policy and is not compelled to change anything based on Bittner's decision. If the DEA rejects Craker's petition, an appeal could only succeed in court if a judge found that the agency was acting arbitrarily in doing so.

Bittner said that there was little risk that Craker's supply of marijuana would be diverted to illicit use. The DEA turned down a previous request from Craker in 2003, saying that there was already an adequate supply of marijuana for researchers. But Bittner said that shortages have occasionally delayed research projects.