News that recreational marijuana will be legal in Canada starting October 17th, 2018 has seemingly made a positive impact on the United States' Food and Drug Administration. According to a new press release from the federal agency, the first-ever cannabis-based medicine has been approved that is an "oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy."
Epidiolex (cannabidiol) will treat Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome in children two years of age and older. This is not only the first drug that contains substances from marijuana, but it is also the first drug aimed to treat Dravet syndrome. The drug will not bring about feelings of being 'high' that comes from THC, but rather pull from CBD in the sativa plant that is commonly known as being used as medicine.
"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. And, the FDA is committed to this kind of careful scientific research and drug development," Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in the statement. "Controlled clinical trials testing the safety and efficacy of a drug, along with careful review through the FDA’s drug approval process, is the most appropriate way to bring marijuana-derived treatments to patients."