FDA Approves Marijuana-Derived Drug for Seizures

By: Corrie Cripps

In June, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the nation’s first approval for a drug derived from marijuana-based compounds. The drug’s name is Epidiolex, and is used to treat patients with forms of severe epilepsy (Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome).

The drug uses CBD, or cannabidiol, which is an oil that comes from resin glands on cannabis buds and flowers.

Prior to the FDA marketing Epidiolex, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) must reclassify CBD, since it is currently listed as a Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs are considered to have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” The DEA is expected to make this change for CBD, but will likely leave cannabis itself at Schedule I.

Currently CBD is legal to purchase in only some states.  In the states where medicinal or recreational marijuana is legal, CBD is legal. In 17 other states, there are specific laws about what CBD products can be used by whom and for what.

If the DEA reclassifies CBD so that it is no longer a Schedule I drug, thus making CBD legal at the federal level, plan sponsors will need to determine if/how they want to address this in their plans (i.e., if they want to specifically exclude or cover it). Plan sponsors will need to determine how this change will impact their plans, including stop loss.