Researchers are discovering more and more healing qualities of one of the main active compounds of cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD). It has turned out to be a miracle cure for some epilepsy sufferers. It is now believed to be beneficial to those with psychosis, depression and many other ailments.
CBD is very inexpensive and widely available as are all other cannabis products. Including, of course ,the much maligned marijuana. And marijuana is still included in DEA's Schedule One putting it in the same category as heroin - and ahead of cocaine. Severe restrictions are in place for cultivation of cannabis and making products out of it. Ostensibly that is due to the illegal status of marijuana. I, however, would not be surprised if the reasons for that are rather different.
The back story of it, or at least part of it, may be that CBD is to the Big Pharma what hemp is to the plastics industry - a potentially game-changing cheaper alternative. A multitude of drugs whose cost is orders of magnitude higher than that of CBD are challenged by the healing effects it demonstrates. The industry behind those drugs can't possibly be happy about that news as even if it adopts CBD production and distribution there is no way to generate profits off of it that would be comparable to those it enjoys producing and selling traditional drugs.
Additionally, should CBD as a concept succeed within the realm of medicine it would be a proof of concept that could spread to other realms. The concept is that there may be a radically different alternative to many technologies of today and that there is nothing wrong with challenging the orthodoxy when it comes to accepted standards.
It is very refreshing to see the stream of encouraging news about the potential of CBD. Let us hope it is adopted far and wide making many crucially needed treatments more accessible and affordable to those who need them.
Sources
A Marijuana Compound Can Actually Help Treat People With Psychosis, According to New Trial
Kristin Houser, Futurism, 31 August 2018
Cannabidiol
Wikipedia
Everything you need to know about CBD oil
Jon Johnson, Medical News Today, 27 July 2018
Controlled Substances - Alphabetical Order (PDF)
US Drug Enforcement Agency