Chief's Corner: FDA hasn’t approved marijuana for medical conditions

By Mike Reitan

This week I am focusing on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s role and policy regarding marijuana use.

Here is an excerpt from a recent FDA article on the subject:

Over the past few decades, there has been significant interest in the potential utility of marijuana for a variety of medical conditions, including those that already have FDA-approved therapies.

More recently, several states have also passed laws that remove state restrictions on health care professionals using marijuana as a medical treatment for a variety of conditions. A number of other states are considering similar legislation regarding the use of marijuana in medical settings.

The FDA has not approved marijuana as a safe and effective drug for any medical indication.

Although the FDA has not approved any drug product containing or derived from botanical marijuana, the FDA is aware that there is considerable interest in its use to attempt to treat a number of medical conditions, including, for example, glaucoma, AIDS wasting syndrome, neuropathic pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and certain seizure disorders.

The FDA has approved Marinol for therapeutic uses in the United States, including for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in AIDS patients. Marinol includes the active ingredient dronabinol, a synthetic delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is considered the psychoactive component of marijuana.

The FDA also supports research into the medical use of marijuana and its constituents through cooperation with other federal agencies involved in marijuana research.

Several states have either passed laws that remove state restrictions on the medical use of marijuana and its derivatives or are considering doing so.

The FDA supports researchers who conduct adequate and well-controlled clinical trials which may lead to the development of safe and effective marijuana products to treat medical conditions.

Mike Reitan is the chief of police in West Fargo.