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The History and Current Legal Issues Concerning Cannabis-Based Medicine

Legal and Regulatory Issues Governing Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products in the United States

In Summary

A research article has come out describing the medical and legal history of medical cannabis as well as the challenges cannabis-based medicine will face in the coming years. This piece is a comprehensive summary of the modern history of cannabis, its medical purposes, the national and state difference in legal status, as well as the interactions between federal and state governments and how they address illicit cannabis use. Rounding out the article is the encouragement from the author for other researchers to develop cannabis-based medications, such as the successful Epidiolex®. 

Highlighted by this piece is the success of cannabinol (CBD) and the potential for proving cannabis medically beneficial without utilizing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabis plants are host to a myriad of chemicals that have been revealed as promising therapies for various ailments, including the cannabinoids cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), and terpenes such as beta-caryophyllene, Linalool, and limonene. Developing therapies like Epidiolex®, which has been approved by the federal government, will help prove the medical benefits that cannabis plants provide and hopefully lead to the support of the federal government and rescheduling of cannabis. 

The study is available for review or download here

View more studies like this in the CED Foundation Archive 

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Benjamin Caplan, MDThe History and Current Legal Issues Concerning Cannabis-Based Medicine