Is Medical Marijuana Considered a Medication in Legal States?

In a state that legalizes medical marijuana, is it considered a medication? Not really since the FDA approves medications for a specific indication. Natural marijuana does not have an approved indication by the FDA and is classified by the DEA as a schedule 1 narcotic. So even while being legal in 15 states, it remains federally illegal and cannot be prescribed and considered a true medication according to an FDA definition.

How Did the Synthetic Medical Marijuana Drug Marinol Get Approved By the FDA?

Marinol was approved by the FDA as a synthetic medical marijuana THC. It comes in oral form to reduce chemotherapy nausea and in addition assists with increasing appetite in AIDS sufferers. The debate between smoking natural marijuana versus utilizing oral Marinol is robust. This article’s purpose is to give the basics on the FDA approval process using Marinol as an example.

Is Marijuana Addictive Like Narcotics?

As medical marijuana becomes legal in more states to qualified patients, a question often asked “Is medical marijuana addictive?” With narcotics having addictive qualities if abused along with overdose and withdrawal risks it is important to either confirm marijuana’s addictive qualities or refute the assertion. The concise answer is that medical marijuana may have a psychological dependence but not a true narcotic like physiologic dependence, so not a true addiction.