U.S. Patent No. 6630507 – The USA Government Holds a Patent on CBD

Did you know that the U.S. government holds a patent (us patent 6630507 on CBD and other cannabinoids?  How does it work with the Federal law and what does it mean for CBD oil users? In this article, we examine the ramifications of patent 6630507.

It is frustrating that despite many states trying to introduce a more lenient legal framework for CBD and cannabis use as a whole, the Federal law still considers the plant a Schedule I substance.   Any ‘drug’ listed in this category is claimed to have no medicinal value.   That being said, as long as cannabis remains a Schedule I drug, the government won’t allow researchers to conduct gold-standard studies on this subject.

Who decides the Schedules?  

In the United States, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) classifies different controlled substances drugs by grouping them into five separate categories, or “schedules.” These five schedules were a result of the Federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a part of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, which was signed into law by former President Richard Nixon.  That gives you an idea of how things are NOT moving with the times!

The theory of CBD being a Schedule 1 Drug.

The DEA and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are in charge of determining which substances should be added, removed, or re-classified. Schedule I substances are presumed to be the most dangerous with a high potential for abuse and no perceived health benefit and tend to be the most heavily criminalized, while Schedule V substances as defined as drugs with the lowest potential for abuse. Examples of Schedule I drugs include heroin, methamphetamines, LSD, and cannabis.

According to the DEA, these categories are based upon the drug’s abuse or dependency potential as well as its acceptable medical use.

Hold on, because the interesting part is yet to come. It’s not just about the states’ laws being in contradiction to the federal law in the U.S.

Here’s where the seemingly absurd happens!

The U.S. Government holds a patent on CBD and other cannabinoids

The 6630507 patent covers the potential use of cannabis for treating a wide range of conditions.

However, under U.S. federal law it has no medical use.  Is it really a surprise to hear that the U.S. government holds a patent on CBD and other cannabinoids as a potential medicine?  And yet, keeps hemp and cannabis illegal, claiming they cannot benefit our health?  The plot thickens!

If you are curious about whether the patent is real,  check it in Google Patents under the signature US6630507.  It is titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants”.  The patent was granted to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in October 2003.

Interesting title remembering that under the Schedule, there are no health benefits.

However, it was the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) that filed the patent request earlier, in 1999.   NIMH is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Everything you need to know about Patent No. 6630507

The patent gives the U.S. government exclusive rights in regard to the use of CBD and other cannabinoids for experimenting with different health conditions.  In the patent, the inventors claim the non-psychoactive cannabinoids can help alleviate conditions caused by oxidative stress.

“Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated conditions, such as age-related, inflammatory and other health concerns.”

“Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention…”

The fact that the U.S. government holds a 6630507 patent on CBD contradicts the statements of the federal law.   As such it states cannabis and its ingredients are void of medical value and involve a high risk of abuse.

The short story is there is a patent that claims cannabis has many medical uses, held by the US Government.  But we also have the law which states quite the opposite and labels the plant and its derivatives as illegal.  So yes, CBD may be legal in your state, but it remains banned on the federal level.

Does it mean the Government holds the patent for cannabis?

Not really.  While you may think of the patent as a patent on cannabis itself, this would be inaccurate.  The patent actually lists only the non-psychoactive cannabinoids (both natural and synthetic).

THC is a psychoactive cannabinoid and the patent does not cover it, nor does it mention anything about a specific application of this cannabinoid. Although the patent does not cover THC, it speaks about the cannabinoid as an antioxidant and neuroprotectant, too.

“THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is another of the cannabinoids that has been shown to be neuroprotective in cell cultures, but this protection was believed to be mediated by interaction at the cannabinoid receptor, and so would be accompanied by undesired psychotropic side effects.”

Nonetheless, patent no. 6630507 covers only a narrow range of applications of the non-intoxicating cannabinoids.  It also underlines that the production or use of marijuana and cannabinoids overall is out of this range.

Why does the U.S. government hold a patent on CBD?

The purpose of the patent is to “provide a new class of antioxidant drugs that have particular application as neuroprotectants.”

The inventors claim to have recognized “a previously unanticipated antioxidant property of cannabinoids in general”.   Interestingly, the patent does not cover cannabinoids that interact with cannabinoid pathways (receptors) directly.

“This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated problems. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants. For example, in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma.”

Final Thoughts

Pharmaceutical companies can make drugs based on cannabidiol and cannabinoids.  The government has no problem with that.  However, the federal law makes it illegal to conduct research on cannabis on the federal level.  In addition, it blocks federal banks from supporting cannabis businesses and forbids making any open claims on CBD curing or healing people.  Because according to the Controlled Substances Act, cannabinoids have no medicinal value!

How can it change?

Well, the only option is to reschedule cannabis or take it off the Controlled Substances Act.  This, however, is a very complex process.  It involves not only the President but also other governing bodies of the federal administration.  The good news is that there are more and more in-depth studies supporting the health benefits of CBD. All of this makes the credibility of CBD a tangible argument for rescheduling.

Where to buy CBD products online?

Here at CBD Sky, we source our CBD from certified, non-GMO hemp.  We also use the supercritical CO2 extraction process to ensure the maximum purity and potency of the final product.  Want to try if CBD works for anxiety, chronic pain, inflammation, or skin conditions?  Take a look at our product range of over 150 CBD products.

We always provide our customers with third-party lab tests. We value transparency and we want them to know the whole cannabinoid and terpene profile. This includes the potency and potential contaminants. Thanks to this, our customers know what they’re buying before they even put their hands on the bottle.

When did you learn about U.S. patent no. 6630507on CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids?