U.S. Growing Largest Marijuana Crop in 5 Years

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is growing the largest crop of research marijuana it has in five years at the University of Mississippi, which holds the only government contract for growing the plant. 

Researchers must, in most cases, go through the government to obtain marijuana because the drug is illegal at a federal level.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse said it plans to grow 4,409 pounds of marijuana this year, according to the Associated Press.

The agency has received requests from scientists for marijuana that more closely resembles the drug sold in dispensaries in states where medical or recreational marijuana is legal, NIDA told the AP.