Steve Neavling
The federal government is finally beginning to recognize the medical benefits of marijuana after decades of zero-tolerance enforcement.
In the latest victory for advocates of medical marijuana, the Transportation Safety Administration is now permitting travelers to bring Epidiolex, a marijuana-derived pediatric epilepsy drug, onto flights.
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the drug, which is used to treat serious and rare kinds of epilepsy. The drug contains cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound extracted from marijuana plants.
While it’s still illegal to bring psychoactive marijuana onto flights, the TSA’s updated guidelines indicate that “hemp-derived CBD” or medications “approved by the FDA are legal as long as it is produced within regulations defined by the law under the Agriculture Improvement Act 2018.”
The 2018 Farm Bill made hemp-based products legal, opening the door for farmers and other cultivators to grow cannabis plants that don't produce a high associated with marijuana.
In November, Michigan residents legalized recreational marijuana. Trouble is, psychoactive marijuana is still illegal on the federal level — for now. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., are advocating for marijuana legalization on the federal level.
In 2008, Michigan voters approved the use of medical marijuana.
Stay on top of Detroit news and views. Sign up for our weekly issue newsletter delivered each Wednesday.
