WASHINGTON: NEWS IN BRIEF

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ADMINISTRATION TO EASE RULES ON POT FOR STUDIES

In a major policy reversal, the Clinton Administration is expected to
announce today that it will release its hold on research-quality marijuana
and make it available to scientists who want to study its medical effects.
For more than 20 years, the production and distribution of marijuana for
clinical research has been restricted
under several federal laws and international agreements, making it all but
impossible for non-federally funded researchers to obtain it. Under the new
policy, private researchers will be allowed to purchase it for studies.