Patent No. 6,630,507: Why the U.S. government holds a patent on cannabis plant compounds
Published on 9/4/16
The DEA dropped the ball last month after hinting at a possible rescheduling of marijuana and then instead keeping it Schedule 1. And since, the internet has shaken with frustration over the government's hypocrisy - keeping marijuana in schedule 1 because it has no medical value, while the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services holds a patent for some cannabinoids having the ability to protect the brain from damage often caused by diseases like cirrhosis. U.S. Patent No, 6,630,507 represents the federal government's indication of marijuana's medical value, yet the DEA continues to push prohibition.
“Naturally, it shows that there is a certain amount of hypocrisy that there is ‘no accepted medical use’ for cannabis according to federal law,” Mendez said. “And yet here you have the very same government owning a patent for, ostensibly, a medical use for marijuana.”
“This patent describes the therapeutic potential for cannabinoid chemical compounds that are structurally similar to THC, but without its psychoactive properties, thereby treating specific conditions without the adverse side effects associated with smoked marijuana,” Myles said in an e-mail.