On June 22<sup>nd</sup>, 2015 the government made a big step forward in the world of medical marijuana. For years it has now been practiced though studies were very limited due to lack of government funding. With this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/22/public-health-service-review_n_7635760.html">ban on medical marijuana finally lifted</a> researchers around the country will have the ability to conduct studies and clinical trials without fear or limitations.

This opens up a world of possibilities for the future of medical cannabis in the United States. Considering the ban was lifted within the same month that state-legal medical cannabis patients, doctors, dispensaries and cultivation became protected under federal law it seems we may be seeing the beginning of the end of a 40 year long marijuana prohibition.

These two changes clearly go against the classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug according to the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I drugs are a classification of harmful drugs which have no medical value.

With this medical research ban lifted, we might soon be seeing a shift in classification of cannabis – which will eventually lead to decriminalization if not full legalization as well as the availability of the plant for medicinal purposes.

Soon we may hold a much larger list of ailments that can be cured or at least have symptom relief thanks to marijuana in some form or another. Currently there is already quite a large list though the research behind each potential treatment is extremely limited.

As more and more studies are conducted, more people will finally see proof of the benefits of marijuana as a medicinal treatment for a multitude of conditions. People who were previously unable to find relief due to complications such as adverse side effects of chemically created medications or even being allergic to one of the ingredients in those medications.

Over time it is likely that the remaining states which have not yet legalized medical marijuana will quickly follow suite with these promises of federal protection. Two of the things which have held the industry back from reaching its full potential is the ability to do proper research on the plant and the ability to go through banks for both funding and business transactions.

Since these are the first pieces of federal legislation to in any way affect the marijuana laws set in place in the 1980s, following the first recreational market within multiple states legislature makes this a truly historic decade in the marijuana movement.