While the answer to your question is yes, if you look at what the company is attempting to do, it's clearly a no, not if they stick to their goal of treating cannabis in various forms as worthy of drug approvals.
I don't know if creams on the market in legal cannabis stores violate the patent OWCP has achieved, or if it's formulation is different enough that they don't violate it. The point is, what's found in legal cannabis stores hasn't been clinically tested for safety and efficacy, that's the approach the company is taking.
I believe if successful in achieving FDA approval products should be able to be sold by prescription in all states, not just in states with approved cannabis stores. If I'm correct about this, you'll go into any pharmacy to purchase them by prescription, and insurance should cover the greater part of your cost, depending on drug coverage.
I believe it's possible that after Phase 2 trials have demonstrated efficacy one of two things may happen. One would certainly be a partnership with one or more BP's who'd carry on the approval process so the product would have approved drug status worldwide. If such partnerships didn't materialize, they may choose to market the product where it's legal to do so to support the costs of a Phase 3 Trial.
If you go into a legal cannabis store, you have to be impressed with the wide variety of products available for sale there. If we had a tested cream, it would simply occupy some shelve space with many other products. Sales might be good, as results were publicized, but the competition would still be substantial, especially if our product is priced above the competition.
On the other hand with drug approval our cream would be the only one of it's type in the pharmacy, and should be covered at least in part by insurance. The time and money spent to achieve such status should make it very worthwhile.
Essentially the same thing can be said for all the other products OWCP is developing. The key is patent rights, once that's established, with clinical trials proving the products benefits the sales in drug stores, rather than cannabis shops, should be huge.
I should note that it's very possible to have the same product available over the counter without prescription, as well as by prescription. While the retail price of the prescription product may be higher, with insurance applied, the cost to the user is dramatically lower. I know your Dr. may say, it's available OTC, but if you ask for a prescription they'll generally provide one, and your price goes down dramatically.
From what I've seen, many cannabis companies our floundering because there is so much competition. I believe that OWCP differentiates itself from most of the others by developing drugs intended for approval that utilize cannabis rather than all sorts of products with cannabis in it.
Gary
