It's completely at the whim of the DEA, that's not legal permission it's selective enforcement. Any minute political shift could land the researchers in jail,

It's completely at the whim of the DEA, that's not legal permission it's selective enforcement. Any minute political shift could land the researchers in jail, all their assets personal or otherwise seized until trial. This non action is the opposite of leadership, and the Department of Justice taking a slightly less conservative stance on the issue isn't progress.