Regulatory and Legislative Disparities With Cannabis Present Challenges to P&T Committees and Health Care Providers

Over the past several years, the legal status of cannabis has been determined by regulatory changes affecting its use, as well as the use of cannabidiol (CBD). Prior to 2018, CBD, along with all forms of marijuana, was considered a Schedule I controlled substance (CI), indicating that these drugs had no medical use and presented a high potential for abuse. On June 25, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Epidiolex (cannabidiol) for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes.1 Upon approval, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) added CBD to the list of controlled substances in Schedule V. Previously, the FDA had approved two products, Marinol® CIII and Cesamet® CI, which are synthetic analogs to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana.2,3 Open in a separate window F. Randy Vogenberg