European Union Clears First Cannabis-Based Medicine

The European Union approved a cannabis-based treatment as a prescription drug for the first time, paving the way for its introduction across the continent.

Doctors can now prescribe GW Pharmaceuticals Plc’s Epidyolex to help alleviate the seizures caused by two rare and extreme forms of epilepsy that start in childhood, the Cambridge, England-based company said in a statement Monday. The drug comes as a drinkable liquid that contains a high dose of cannabidiol, an ingredient of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get users high.