It's no secret the federal government has long blocked cannabis research and use, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes. But recent developments have exposed growing inconsistencies in how the federal government treats marijuana and shown that the current approach to cannabis research and products is unsustainable.
First, the good news: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently agreed to permit the sale of Epidiolex, which earlier this year became the first-ever cannabis-derived drug to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Epidiolex treats rare forms of childhood epilepsy and is derived from cannabidiol (CBD), which is a non-intoxicating chemical produced by cannabis plants.
It's great that the FDA and DEA will allow Epidiolex to be used by kids suffering from epilepsy. Unfortunately, however, the DEA's approach in this case raises a number of serious public-policy concerns.
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