Patent 6630507 is a patent that the United States government owns that is at the heart of the cannabis debate. The patent states that the use of non-psychoactive cannabinoids to protect the brain against degeneration, is the property of the United States government. The patent lists possible applications including: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and use after a stroke. The description also includes the use of cannabinoids as an antioxidant.

The patent was filed in 1999, and granted to the United States Department of Health and Human Services in 2003. Patent 6630507 refers to “non-psychoactive cannabinoids” meaning that THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is not specifically included in the intellectual property rights, however, CBD (Cannabidiol) is very much included. Currently, the government licenses the use of the patent to outside organizations including, a company named Kannalife. The government’s patent expires on April 21, 2019 (1).

Analysis

The reason why Patent 6630507 is so controversial is because it highlights the federal government’s lack of consistency on cannabis. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lists marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, which is described as having “no currently accepted medical use”. At the same time, the United States government owns a patent on, what is obviously, potential medical uses of the plant. Clearly, clarification is needed by the federal government, as well as the rescheduling of cannabis by the DEA.

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