First Marijuana-Based Drug Approved By FDA In Expected Move

The Associated Press: Medical Milestone: US OKs Marijuana-Based Drug For Seizures
U.S. health regulators on Monday approved the first prescription drug made from marijuana, a milestone that could spur more research into a drug that remains illegal under federal law, despite growing legalization for recreational and medical use. The Food and Drug Administration approved the medication, called Epidiolex, to treat two rare forms of epilepsy in patients 2 years and older. But it's not quite medical marijuana. (6/25)

The Washington Post: First Marijuana-Derived Drug Approved, Will Target Severe Epilepsy
The drug, called Epidiolex, is an oral solution containing highly purified cannabidiol (CBD), which is one of scores of chemicals in the cannabis sativa plant, commonly known as marijuana. The drug contains only trace amounts of the psychoactive element THC and does not induce euphoria. Epidiolex was approved for patients age 2 and older who suffer from Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes. Both cause uncontrolled daily seizures and put patients at high risk for other physical and intellectual disabilities, injury and early death. The disorders afflict fewer than 45,000 people in the United States, but experts expect Epidiolex to be prescribed for other types of epilepsy as well. The drug is the first treatment approved for Dravet syndrome. (McGinley, 6/25)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Approves First Drug Derived From Marijuana Plant
The FDA said Monday that the drug doesn’t cause the high that comes from the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the main psychoactive component of marijuana. FDA officials also said the drug doesn’t appear to have abuse potential, citing minimal reports of euphoria in patients who took the drug in clinical studies. (Loftus, 6/25)

NPR: FDA Approves Marijuana-Based Pharmaceutical Drug
"This approval serves as a reminder that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb during a call with reporters about the approval. (Aubrey, 6/25)

Stat: FDA Approves Country's First Medicine Made From Marijuana 
The FDA’s decision was expected. FDA officials had indicated they supported approving Epidiolex, and an advisory panel had unanimously recommended it get the green light. There was some concern about the drug’s effects on the liver, but experts have said this risk could be addressed by doctors as they monitor their patients during treatment. (Joseph, 6/25)

Bloomberg: First Marijuana-Based Medicine Is Approved For Sale In U.S. 
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued a separate statement stressing the importance of proper research on medical uses of marijuana and cautioning other companies that might try to push their pot treatments. “This is an important medical advance,” Gottlieb said of Epidiolex. “But it’s also important to note that this is not an approval of marijuana or all of its components.” (Edney, 6/25)

The Hill: FDA Approves First Drug Derived From Marijuana
Medical marijuana is available in about half of states. But federal regulations classify CBD as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it has no medical value and a high potential for abuse, because it is a chemical component of the cannabis plant. This means the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will have to reclassify it before GW can begin marketing Epidiolex. (Weixel, 6/25)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: FDA-Approved Medicine Derived From Marijuana Could Be Available Soon In Ohio
In Ohio, a bill in the Senate would remove drug schedules from state law and instead have the state pharmacy board schedule substances in rules and regulations. (Borchardt, 6/25)

In other marijuana news —

The New York Times: Meet Colorado’s New Single-Issue Voters: The Cannabis Community
The political rise of Colorado’s cannabis industry is, in essence, the story of Garrett Hause’s alfalfa farm. Mr. Hause, a broad-shouldered, 25-year-old horticulturist who tills his family’s land in the shadow of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, said he was never particularly interested in politics — that is, until voters legalized cannabis in 2012. He started familiarizing himself with the stringent state regulations that govern the industry. He and a friend then created Elation Cannabis Company, which uses a section of the family’s soil to grow hemp. (Herndon, 6/25)

The Associated Press: Oklahoma Voters Weigh 1st Marijuana Ballot Question Of 2018
Oklahoma primary voters were weighing Tuesday whether to approve one of the least-restrictive state laws allowing medical marijuana, the nation's first cannabis ballot question of the year. State Question 788 , the result of an activist-led signature drive launched more than two years ago, would make it legal to grow, sell and use marijuana for medicinal purposes. The proposed law outlines no qualifying conditions, which would allow physicians to prescribe its use for a broad range of ailments — a fact that has sparked bitter opposition from law enforcement, business, faith and political leaders. (6/26)

The Cannifornian: Bay Area Cannabis Dispensaries Dump Treatwell Tinctures As #PermitPatty Backlash Spreads
At least three Bay Area marijuana dispensaries have announced they will no longer carry TreatWellHealth products after TreatWell founder Alison Ettel appeared in a viral video threatening to call the police on an 8-year-old black girl selling water in San Francisco, earning Ettel the nickname “Permit Patty” on social media. (Lam, 6/25)