Measure legalizing CBD medicine awaits OK from Colorado governor

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The Colorado Legislature passed a bill that permits doctors to prescribe CBD medicines provided they have won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – a development that could happen within a matter of weeks.

The state Senate signed off on the measure Tuesday, and it now moves to Gov. John Hicklenlooper for his signature.

Passage of the legislation comes soon after an FDA advisory panel unanimously recommended that the agency approve Epidiolex, a CBD medicine designed to treat a rare form of epilepsy.

The FDA is expected to make a decision by late June.

British drugmaker GW Pharmaceuticals produces Epidiolex. It has worked for years to enter the potentially lucrative U.S. drug market.

If the FDA approves the drug, it would be the first cannabis plant-derived medicine approved for the U.S. market, thereby instantly boosting the credibility of the MMJ market. Some synthetic cannabis products are already available.