A maker of synthetic cannabis that has been investigated for alleged improper marketing of a highly addictive prescription painkiller donated a lot of money to the campaign opposing legalization of marijuana in Arizona, the Washington Post reports.
“The $500,000 donation from Insys Therapeutics, based in Chandler, Ariz., amounts to more than one-third of all money raised by Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, the group opposing legalization. It’s one of the largest single contributions to any anti-legalization campaign ever, according to campaign finance records maintained by ballotpedia.com,” the Post says.
The paper noted that Insys has developed a drug based on a synthetic version of marijuana’s active ingredient, THC. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July for treatment of symptoms in AIDS and cancer patients.
Insys also manufactures the powerful painkiller Subsys fentanyl. The Post said “the company is facing state and federal investigations, as well as a shareholder lawsuit, over allegations that it improperly marketed the drug to doctors in an effort to boost sales.”