Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) founder and president, Dr. Kevin Sabet, released the following statement regarding the recent FDA approval of the first cannabidiol medication, Epidiolex:
“Today, the FDA reached a milestone by approving a pure CBD oil medication – Epidiolex – for the treatment of two rare epileptic disorders. This is an important development. Medication should be left up to science, not political ideology, and now desperately ill patients can access this safe and effective medication through doctors and pharmacies.
“Previous research by the FDA found that many of the oils marketed as CBD contained dangerous substances, including high amounts of THC. Medication development should be left up to scientists and the FDA, not a for-profit marijuana industry that bypasses all regulation. Today’s decision should be commended.”
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlelib made the following important point in his statement this afternoon: “This is an important medical advance. But it’s also important to note that this is not an approval of marijuana or all of its components. This is the approval of one specific CBD medication for a specific use.”
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