The Brief

WASHINGTON - A new study found that an experimental marijuana-based medication effectively eased back pain, adding to the evidence that the drug may help treat one of the most common types of chronic pain.

The 800-patient study by a German drugmaker is the latest evidence of the therapeutic properties of cannabis, which remains illegal under U.S. federal law even as most states have made it available for medical or recreational use.

RELATED: Trump considers reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous drug: report

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Unlike that drug, known as Epidiolex, the new cannabis formula from drugmaker Vertanical contains THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that gets users high. But levels of the chemical are very low, essentially a microdose compared to what’s availab

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