Studying a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana will be slightly easier for researchers after the Drug Enforcement Administration announced a small regulatory change on Wednesday.
The change applies to a substance called cannabidiol, or CBD. The substance, which is derived from marijuana, in Colorado as a healing agent after hundreds of families hoping it could cure their desperately sick children, many of whom suffer from seizure disorders.
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But, the change announced Wednesday won t have any impact on the dozens of CBD providers in Colorado, none of whom operate with the DEA s sign-off. Instead, the change affects researchers who have already received approval from the DEA and the Food and Drug Administration to study CBD.
Those researchers used to have to re-apply to the DEA anytime they wanted to expand their research and obtain more CBD — which they mostly get through or from pharmaceutical companies developing CBD-based medicines. The change allows the researchers to apply for a waiver that would let them expand their research without additional approval.
A DEA spokeswoman said the change currently affects 76 researchers nationwide.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068, jingold@denverpost.com or @johningold
