Recently I wrote an article about the disconnect between public policy and scientific evidence. The article focused on cannabidiol, or CBD as it is commonly referred to in the medical world. In my opinion, the lack of solid empirical evidence supporting the use of this particular drug to treat anything beyond epilepsy is a fundamental flaw in how we regulate medications in the United States. In addition to that, there are problems with the FDA allowing manufacturers to get away with skimping on the clinical trials necessary to prove their drugs are effective. In my opinion, this flaw has impeded our drug development process and harmed many patients trying to find a safe and effective remedy for their medical condition.
So should the federal government be spending more time on research on Synchronicity By Functional Remedies? If the government wants to effectively regulate a therapeutic herb like CBD, which has no known ill side effects, it must enact legislation that requires federally approved clinical trials for all pharmaceuticals intending to introduce new pharmaceutical products to the market. As stated earlier, there are many challenges to implementing this requirement, namely the fact that most pharmaceutical companies are not interested in spending the resources necessary to conduct these clinical trials.
Additionally, many state governments have very tight regulations regarding marijuana and other drugs on the state level. They typically enact laws that severely restrict access to these types of medications for patients suffering from debilitating diseases. Therefore, in order to obtain the data needed to evaluate CBD and other pharmaceuticals for effectiveness and safety, medical researchers must obtain federal approval through an agency such as the FDA.
In my opinion, the answer to the question should the federal government be spending more time on CBD research should be contingent upon the results of these federally approved clinical trials. If the results demonstrate the efficacy of CBD as a legitimately treating condition for medical conditions, then states should enact legislation permitting the use of this therapeutic herb.
However, this isn’t necessarily the case. In my state, some of the restrictions on the use of this plant include: restrictions against distributing or prescribing marijuana; restrictions against selling or distributing marijuana, etc. Therefore, if these restrictions are strictly followed, it is unlikely that CBD will receive any federal funding.
If the U.S. FDA was to discover that CBD is an appropriate and effective prescription medication for a particular disease or disorder, they would likely deem it a “breakthrough” in the field. This would likely spark a wave of new studies and development into this area, therefore increasing the potential benefit to the American public. If CBD is proven to be both safe and effective, then it would join the ranks of traditional pain management medications and psychiatric drugs.
