OXNARD, Calif. – CURE Pharmaceutical Tuesday announced it has broadened its U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license as an authorized manufacturer of Schedule 1 substances to include both cannabis plant extracts and synthetic cannabidiol (CBD). This license allows CURE to take advantage of its latest U.S. Patent No. 10,238,705 issuing this month for the extraction and purification of cannabis plant material, as well as subsequent processing of cannabis extracts for drug formulation.

CURE will develop and manufacture cannabis-derived and synthetic cannabidiol-based pharmaceutical products using its CUREfilm™ technology at its facility in Oxnard, Calif.  CUREfilm technology is ideal for the delivery of cannabinoids as it offers increased bioavailability, ease and precision of dosing and greater palatability.

“This license approval significantly expands the potential formulations we can develop,” said Rob Davidson, chief executive officer of CURE Pharmaceutical. “Which, coupled with our growing patent estate and proprietary manufacturing process, extends our competitive advantage and moves us closer to bringing breakthrough pharmaceuticals to consumers.”

The latest U.S. DEA drug classification lists the entire cannabis plant under the Drug Code 7360 and the use of the cannabis extracts in any form (excluding those specifically listed) as part of Drug Code 7350. CURE now has the right to manufacture pharmaceuticals based on both — those based on the natural cannabis plant, such as hemp, as well as synthetic cannabinoids produced by chemical synthesis.

U.S. Patent No. 10,238,705 covers the extraction and fractioning of bioactive cannabinoid molecules such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD from the cannabis plant, allowing the integration of these molecules into a dosage form, such as CUREfilm.  The patent inventor, Gary Speier, is a registered patent attorney with Carlson Caspers and an advisor to CURE.