On December 15, 2011, the legal team representing Prof. Lyle Craker filed their opening brief in their much-anticipated lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration for denying Craker’s application to cultivate marijuana for medical research. The 232-page document (PDF) represents the combined efforts of Prof. Craker, the American Civil Liberties Union, Washington, D.C. law firm Covington & Burling LLP, and MAPS, and is a major challenge to DEA’s politically-motivated decision to uphold the federal blockade on marijuana for research. The DEA’s opposition brief is currently due January 20, though the agency may request an extension of a month or more. The brief was filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.