Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound derived from cannabis that has gained significant interest in recent years due to its potential therapeutic benefits. However, the legality of CBD varies from state to state, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve any cannabis-derived products for medical use. In this article, we'll explore the legal status of CBD in different states and discuss what the FDA has to say about it. In Idaho, Iowa, and South Dakota, CBD is completely illegal. In New Jersey, New Mexico, and North Dakota, it is legal without restrictions.
In Alaska, California, Washington, and many other states, it is legal but cannot be sold in combination with food or beverages, except in authorized cannabis stores. The FDA recognizes the potential opportunities that cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds may offer and has approved one cannabis-derived drug and three cannabis-related drugs. These approved products are only available with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. The FDA-approved drug Epidiolex contains a purified form of the drug substance CBD for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome in patients aged 1 year and older.
Epidiolex has also been approved for the treatment of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex in patients aged 1 year and older. The FDA has not approved any applications for the marketing of cannabis for the treatment of any disease or condition. However, the agency has approved Marinol and Syndros for therapeutic uses in the United States, including for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS. Marinol and Syndros include the active ingredient dronabinol, a synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that is considered the psychoactive component of cannabis. Another FDA-approved drug, Cesamet, contains the active ingredient nabilone, which has a chemical structure similar to THC and is synthetically derived. The FDA remains concerned about the proliferation of products that claim to contain CBD and are marketed for therapeutic or medical purposes without being approved by the agency.
These products have not been proven to be safe or effective and can put patients at risk. The agency also warns that selling unapproved products with baseless therapeutic claims is not only a violation of the law but can also pose significant public health problems. The FDA knows that several states have passed laws that remove state restrictions on the medical use of cannabis and its derivatives or are considering doing so. The agency encourages companies interested in properly marketing safe, effective, and quality products to conduct research on the medicinal uses of cannabis. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), in particular the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), provide additional information on research on the medical use of cannabis. The FDA is not aware of any evidence that could question its current findings that products containing THC or CBD are excluded from this exception.
The agency encourages companies interested in properly marketing safe, effective, and quality products to conduct research on the medicinal uses of cannabis.
