Tuesday, June 26, 2018

CBD Extracts online vary in their actual concentrations.

There is growing consumer demand for cannabidiol (CBD), a constituent of the cannabis plant, due to its purported medicinal benefits for myriad health conditions.1 Viscous plant-derived extracts, suspended in oil, alcohol (tincture), or vaporization liquid, represent most of the retail market for CBD. Discrepancies between federal and state cannabis laws have resulted in inadequate regulation and oversight, leading to inaccurate labeling of some products.2 To maximize sampling and ensure representativeness of available products, we examined the label accuracy of CBD products sold online, including identification of present but unlabeled cannabinoids.
CBD bought online can have a wide range of variation from labeled amounts. Tinctures are less variable.

Monday, June 25, 2018

CBD for Epilepsy: FDA Approves Prescribed CBD as an Epilepsy Medication, but there is a catch ...

Epidiolex adds another tool indicated for DRAVET and LGS ... but wait, CBD must still be rescheduled by the DEA. 

Will CBD be completely rescheduled? Call your legislator to ensure CBD a relatively safe and non-addictive substance is rescheduled. - JR


FDA Green Lights Marijuana-Based Pharmaceutical Drug

June 25, 20185:33 PM ET
 Allison Aubrey - 2015 square
ALLISON AUBREY

FULL Story HERE

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a marijuana-derived drug for the treatment of two rare and serious forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, that begin in childhood but can persist in adulthood.

The drug is made from purified cannabidiol, or CBD, a compound found in the cannabis plant. The drug will be marketed under the brand name Epidiolex.

CBD has medicinal effects, but it does not cause the mind-altering high that comes from THC, the primary psychoactive component of marijuana.

The FDA says this is the first drug approved in the U.S. that contains a purified substance derived from marijuana. The agency has previously approved drugs made from synthetic versions of THC and other marijuana constituents.

Dr. Rotenberg prescribes CBD for refractory epilepsy
under the CURT program
approved by the  State of Texas
"This approval serves as a reminder that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb during a call with reporters about the approval.

Anxiety Relief Without The High? New Studies On CBD, A Cannabis Extract
SHOTS - HEALTH NEWS
Anxiety Relief Without The High? New Studies On CBD, A Cannabis Extract
Several states have legalized CBD oil specifically for the treatment of intractable epilepsy or seizure disorders. And, as NPR has reported, CBD supplements are available widely online and in dispensaries in the form of oils or tinctures. CBD oil has gained popularity with consumers as a remedy for a variety of other ailments. However, the legal status of these products is uncertain, as is their quality. They're not regulated the way pharmaceutical drugs are, so the consistency and dose can vary widely.

Having an FDA-approved, pharmaceutical-grade CBD drug will open up a new treatment option for epilepsy patients by delivering a high-quality, consistent dose

Saturday, June 02, 2018

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Are we killing kids or just letting them die?


"Is there a difference between killing someone and letting them die?" 



Suppose you were walking by a person drowning in the bathtub. If you do nothing, did you kill them?


Often posed as a common biomedical ethics dilemma, the situation begs the question about "passive versus active". I never thought that this life and death drama might apply to public education.  I have seen this dilemma play out again and again at the micro and macro levels in our Texas public educational system.

Here is this week’s outrage. 

How many hours of advanced training are required BEFORE a certified general education teacher can teach a special education student? 
  • Go ahead....Guess. 
  • Zero


How many hours of advanced training are required before a general education teacher teaches Gifted and Talented? 

Texas Administrative Code requires 30 hours of pedagogic training before teachers can instruct gifted & talented students. The code also requires SIX hours yearly to maintain this certification.

How does this disparity play out? An educational plan may put a general education teacher straight out of school OR perhaps even a "Teach for America" instructor in charge of a special education student's INDIVIDUALIZED educational plan with minimal oversight by a certified special education teacher. 

A general education teacher without any specialized training is responsible for planning, monitoring and reporting on details MANDATED by federal law, and MONITORED by the TEA. Can you guess what happens next for many children?  


On its face, it appears that our laws mandate that Texans keep on walking while special education children thrash in the bathtub. 

Its time we put our money and attention on both sides of the bell curve. 14% of HISD children are identified as GT. 15% of children have a learning difference. 25% of families have a child with a chronic health problem. 

 Its time that Texas took equal pride in how we gather in the sparks of all our children who learn differently, on both sides of the curve.  

I am grateful to have met HISD trustees, educators and professionals who are aligned on this same vector for change. But, we need help undoing unhelpful beliefs and practices translated into rules - written and unwritten. Its difficult to fix the plane while we are flying in it. 


  • Ensure special ed families are involved in your campus PTO.
  • Ensure special ed families are on your campus planning committee.
  • Listen with an open mind to children and parents who live another reality. 
  • Advocate for change in our laws. 


Educational equity is not just an issue of morality. Its a compelling public infrastructure problem impeding growth and development. 

Taking action, we send an unconditional message to all people that we care how a child grows and becomes, no matter what. 

Dr. Josh





(Parenthetically, BY willful neglect, are we  forcing our teachers and administrators to violate Federal Law? We set our well-meaning educators up to deny free access to public education). 

CONCUSSION Symptoms can Persist 1 to 2 years later! You just have to ask.

MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY mTBI is CONCUSSION.
Administrators commonly reject a family applying for 504 because concussion symptoms are temporary. 



Post-concussive symptoms after a mild traumatic

brain injury during childhood and adolescence


Pages 617-626 | Received 08 Apr 2017, Accepted 07 Feb 2018,
Published online: 15 Feb 2018

Objective: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common injury during childhood and adolescence but the long-term outcomes are poorly understood. This study examined post-concussive symptoms and behavioural outcomes in children and adolescents up to 24 months post-mTBI.
Method: Parents of children aged 8–15 years with mTBI completed the BASC-2 and Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire at baseline, 1-, 6-, 12- and 24 months post-injury. An age-matched traumatic brain injury-free cohort was recruited and assessed at 12- and 24 months.
Results: PCSs decreased significantly over the first 12 months post-injury.
At 12- and 24 months post-injury, the mTBI group reported more PCSs and behavioral symptoms compared to controls.

Parents of children with mTBI were more likely to report ≥4 problematic symptoms
(28% at both time points) vs  controls (7.7% and 1.7% at 12 and 24 months, respectively).

The mTBI group was 4.63 times more likely to have four or more ongoing PCS symptoms at 12 months post-injury compared to controls.

Headache was the most common acute post-injury symptom (55%)
the most commonly reported persistent symptoms were:

  •  irritability, 
  • frustration, 
  • forgetfulness and 
  • fatigue.


Conclusions: PCSs are common 2 years post-mTBI in childhood or adolescence.
Given this, additional intervention and support is needed for families post-injury.