WASHINGTON – An experimental medication made from marijuana successfully reduced back pain in a new study, offering further support for the drug’s potential in treating one of the most common forms 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.

Health officials in Canada and Europe have previously approved a pharmaceutical-grade form of cannabis for several types of pain, including nerve pain due to multiple sclerosis. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug containing CBD — one of the many non-intoxicating chemicals found in cannabis — to treat rar

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