An upcoming (and recently funded) two year pot study out of Washington state plans to compare the medicinal mysteries of marijuana — working alone as an anti-pain agent — against its success at alleviating pain when combined with synthetic anti-pain medications (such as morphine).

Professor of psychology, Michael Morgan, at Washington State University (WSU), qualified to receive a $148,438 grant from the National Institutes of Health, who in turn received their funding from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 — the economic stimulus package signed in February.

Morgan talked about the proposed study at a press conference:

This research is innovative in the field. [...] Currently there are no other projects that are studying this chemical relationship using these parameters.

Ironically enough, the project is funded by stimulus dollars and was selected because of ”its potential to stimulate the economy and create or retain jobs within the community.” Another merit was the chance of making documented scientific progress within a short time span. Remember, two years is the blink of an eye to most research scientists (especially those on 15 year double-blind medication trials.)