Tag: medical

CBD: Can it treat seizures?

CBD is a compound with pharmaceutical properties that is found in both cannabis and hemp plants. The plant type that CBD is derived from is extremely important, as only CBD produced from hemp is legal in all fifty U.S. states. Hemp is a unique plant since it was specifically cultivated to be THC-free. By eliminating the psychoactive component, THC, from the mix, users are able to enjoy the full therapeutic benefits of CBD without the risk of getting high and experiencing possible impairment. There are currently several official uses for CBD, but the most promising appears to be as a treatment for seizures. The FDA brought cannabidiol (CBD) to the spotlight in June 2018 with its newest medicine, Epidiolex.

Epidiolex is an oral solution that is administered for the treatment of Dravet syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). Both of these pediatric disorders are severe types of epilepsy where the victim suffers uncontrollable seizures. In 2017, a double-blind, multicenter, placebo trial was published by neurology.org, which proved that the use of CBD significantly dropped the frequency of seizure occurrences in patients suffering from LGS. Several more studies have been done since that date that all confirm the same fact: the use of CBD is not only well tolerated in these cases, but also highly effective in reducing seizures this patient demographic.

The question now is could CBD possibly be the answer for seizures in general? There are many different forms of epilepsy that can afflict all age ranges from neonates to the geriatric population. While many studies have been done in relation to Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome, there are is little to no research being done on treating seizures with CBD caused by other factors such as stroke, brain trauma, autoimmune diseases such as Sjorgren’s syndrome, and generalized epilepsy.

Even the way CBD works to provide this relief from seizures is currently up for debate, as there are two proposed theories. One theory is that stimulates the hippocampus (part of the brain) and acts on a receptor to disrupt a seizure from taking place. The other theory is that it has a unique interaction with NMDA receptors in general and acts as a protectant. Since the current mode of action is currently not clear, but the results are, it’s obvious that further research is warranted into CBD as a treatment for seizures in general. Limiting treatment and research to only two types of epileptic syndromes is completely ridiculous. The hope for the future of seizure treatment as a whole is CBD- we simply need to utilize the resources and further study the matter.