The Obama administration has removed a major regulatory barrier standing in the way of desperately needed research into medical marijuana.

On Monday, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which oversees the United States' overall drug-fighting efforts, announced it will no longer require scientists seeking to study medical marijuana to pass a stifling Public Health Service review process, the Associated Press reports.

While this may seem like a small step for marijuana research, the recent announcement could pull the lynch pin that opens the floodgates for a wave of future scientific marijuana research that could add to the already growing list of potential medical applications of the substance. 

What's being changed: The review process was an additional hurdle of bureaucracy for non-government-funded researchers to pass before they could legally launch any marijuana-related studies. All studies involving drugs that the Drug Enforcement Administration classifies as Schedule I (no medical value and high...