COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. - July 12: Ana Watson measures 5mg per pound for Preston's first dose of "Haleigh's Hope," a high-CBD oil she has been pinning her hopes on to help control his seizures and change his life. July 12, 2014 Colorado Springs, CO (Photo By Joe Amon/The Denver Post)

U.S. approves first prescription drug made from marijuana

WASHINGTON — U.S. health regulators on Monday approved the first prescription drug made from marijuana, a milestone that could spur more research into a drug that remains illegal under federal law, despite growing legalization for recreational and medical use.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the medication, called Epidiolex, to treat two rare forms of epilepsy that begin in childhood. But it’s not quite medical marijuana.

The strawberry-flavored syrup is a purified form of a chemical ingredient found in the cannabis plant — but not the one that gets users high. It’s not yet clear why the ingredient, called cannabidiol, or CBD, reduces seizures in some people with epilepsy.

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