HOUSTON (BP)--The American Medical Association is calling for a federal review of marijuana's classification as a dangerous drug with no accepted medical use, approving a revised policy Nov. 10 that won praise from marijuana supporters.

The physicians group said its intention is to open avenues for clinical research toward the development of cannabis-based medicines and alternative ways of delivering the drug.

A Southern Baptist public policy expert, however, noted that declassification is not needed for conducting marijuana-related research.

The AMA, at its interim policymaking meeting in Houston, rejected a proposal to outright urge the rescheduling of marijuana, which now is considered a Schedule I controlled substance, the most restrictive category. Schedule I, which also includes heroin and LSD, is the only classification of controlled substances that cannot be prescribed by a physician.

The group also rejected an amendment that said "smoking is an inherently unsafe delivery method for any therapeutic agent, and therefore smoked marijuana should not be recommended for medical use."

The AMA claims 250,000 members, but that figure often is questioned by various estimates that it represents only 25 to 40 percent of U.S. doctors.

As part of the new policy, the AMA said it was not signaling approval of the 13 states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.

"This should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product," the AMA said.

In response to the AMA's revised policy, the Drug Enforcement Administration said, "At this point, it's still a Schedule I drug, and we're going to treat it as such," and the Food and Drug Administration, which in the past has rejected the use of marijuana for medical purposes, declined to comment, The Los Angeles Times said.

The Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based marijuana advocacy group, called the AMA's policy change "big news" and said it "falls in line with what is quickly becoming a universal understanding in American medicine: Marijuana has undeniable medical uses and federal law should reflect that reality."

"The AMA's previous position was often cited by medical marijuana opponents as evidence that the drug's medical efficacy was in question," the MPP's blog said. "This new policy will go a long way to convincing politicians and policy makers that the compassionate use of medical marijuana should not be blocked by outdated marijuana laws."