In the traditional “Big Pharma” drug development model, a new drug is created to address a disease and, based on objective evidence, reviewed and labeled for treatment for a specific list of ailments (although a physician can Rx it for off label uses). Many come from traditional treatments – like willow bark tea for a headache and other pains. I admit it is much easier to swallow an aspirin that find a willow tree and extract tea from its bark. So it makes perfect sense to find the single active ingredient and create a pill which contains it. While a couple of drugs have been developed from cannabis, the pharmaceutical companies cannot really separate the dozens of active cannabis compounds into separate salable pills so easily. It should be just as (or much more) effective to use cannabis (or its extracts) in their native form – no pills needed. It is safe – humans have used cannabis for thousands of years and there are no objective reports of any deaths related to its use. Cannabis includes dozens of active “drug” molecules that bind to the endogenous CB1 and CB2 receptors in our bodies. When consumed, it medical physiological actions are really from the combination of those drug molecules acting on many endogenous receptors simultaneously. A single cannabis component in a pill, by itself, would not have the combined effect. The FDA will assume control over our industry (a “when” not a “if”). We must plan now to avoid an intrusion of the pharmaceutical giants into our industry. Some actions are:
A – Educate the public that cannabis hybrid strains produce different results and outcomes;
B – State cloned cannabis hybrid strains are substantially equivalent from crop to crop;
C – Cannabis is a plant, we can create new hybrid strains to meet medical needs;
D – An Rx is for a cannabis strain;
E – Partner with Medical Device companies;
F – Work with insurers and VA to cover the cost of medical cannabis

source: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/78665/78665-6140315298881949698