Cannabis Treatment for Epilepsy: Where is the evidence?

Is there good evidence for cannabis efficacy and safety in treating epilepsy?  Yes.  - JR

Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Epilepsy: Hard Evidence at Last?

Evidence for cannabidiol / CBD superiority over placebo in treating
refractory epilepsy syndromes. 

The interest in cannabis-based products for the treatment of refractory epilepsy has skyrocketed in recent years. Marijuana and other cannabis products with high content in Δ(9) - tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), utilized primarily for recreational purposes, are generally unsuitable for this indication, primarily because THC is associated with many undesired effects. Compared with THC, cannabidiol (CBD) shows a better defined anticonvulsant profile in animal models and is largely devoid of adverse psychoactive effects and abuse liability. Over the years, this has led to an increasing use of CBD-enriched extracts in seizure disorders, particularly in children. Although improvement in seizure control and other benefits on sleep and behavior have been often reported, interpretation of the data is made difficult by the uncontrolled nature of these observations. Evidence concerning the potential anti-seizure efficacy of cannabinoids reached a turning point in the last 12 months, with the completion of three high-quality placebo-controlled adjunctive-therapy trials of a purified CBD product in patients with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In these studies, CBD was found to be superior to placebo in reducing the frequency of convulsive (tonic-clonic, tonic, clonic, and atonic) seizures in patients with Dravet syndrome, and the frequency of drop seizures in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. For the first time, there is now class 1 evidence that adjunctive use of CBD improves seizure control in patients with specific epilepsy syndromes.

J Epilepsy Res > Volume 7(2); 2017 > Article Review Article Journal of Epilepsy Research 2017; 7(2): 61-76. Published online: December 31, 2017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14581/jer.17012 Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Epilepsy: Hard Evidence at Last?

Cannabis use during pregnancy: potential effects on child's brain development

Interesting review of research done to determine the effects of cannabis use during pregnancy. -JR

Cannabis use in pregnancy may alter offspring's brain structure

Written by Honor Whiteman

"Children born to mothers who use cannabis during pregnancy are more likely to have abnormal brain structure, which may have long-term consequences for mental health."

This is the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, led by Dr. Hanan El Marroun, of Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

According to the researchers, around 2-13 percent of women worldwide use cannabis during pregnancy.

Previous research has suggested that expectant mothers who use the drug are more likely to have children with behavioral and mental health problems.

Exactly how cannabis use affects the brain structure of offspring, however, has been unclear, and this is what Dr. El Marroun and colleagues set out to investigate.

"This study is important because cannabis use during pregnancy is relatively common and we know very little about the potential consequences of cannabis exposure during pregnancy and brain development later in life," says Dr. El Marroun.

Thicker prefrontal cortex for children prenatally exposed to cannabis

The team analyzed the data of 263 children aged 6-8 years who were part of the Generation R Study - a population-based study in the Netherlands, in which they were followed from birth.

However, compared with children who were prenatally exposed to tobacco only, the researchers found those who were prenatally exposed to both cannabis and tobacco had a thicker prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex is a brain region that plays a role in complex cognitive behavior, planning, decision-making, working memory, and social behavior.

Full article here:

Hemp 101: What is Hemp? Why is it illegal? Can it be used to treat neurological disorders?

Informational piece about the history of hemp and why you should know a little bit about the plant.    -JR

What is Hemp? What's it Used for, and Why is it illegal? 

Perhaps most importantly, how can hemp extract help people with neurological conditions including epilepsy and lennox-gastaut syndrome.

Hemp is one of the oldest domesticated crops known to man. It has been used for paper, textiles, and cordage for thousands of years. In fact, the Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a scrap of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.

There are many different varieties of the cannabis plant. Hemp -- also called industrial hemp -- refers to the non-psychoactive (less than 1% THC) varieties of Cannabis sativa L. Both hemp and marijuana come from the same cannabis species, but are genetically distinct and are further distinguished by use, chemical makeup, and cultivation methods.

Hemp fibers and stalks are used in clothing, construction materials, paper, biofuel, plastic composites, and more.

Hemp can do a lot, but it can’t get you “high.” Because hemp varieties contain virtually zero tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), your body processes it faster than you can smoke it. Trying to use hemp to put you on cloud nine will only put you in bed with a migraine!

Then why is hemp illegal?

In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act strictly regulated the cultivation and sale of all cannabis varieties. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified all forms of cannabis -- including hemp -- as a Schedule I drug, making it illegal to grow it in the United States (which is why we’re forced to import hemp from other countries as long as it contains scant levels of THC -- 0.3% is the regulation for hemp cultivation in the European Union and Canada). As a result of this long-term prohibition, most people have forgotten the industrial uses of the plant and continue to misidentify hemp with its cannabis cousin, marijuana.

FULL ARTICLE HERE:

A drug company plans to use a form of cannabis in a drug trial to treat epilepsy.

A British drug company aims to test a compound found in cannabis as a treatment for epilepsy, following a promising study using the chemical in rats and mice.

GW Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday that human clinical trials using cannabidivarin (CBDV) could start in 2013 after University of Reading scientists reported the previously little-studied chemical had potential as an anticonvulsant.

CBDV is one of many non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant and does not cause users to feel ‘high'.

The pre-clinical tests carried out by Ben Whalley and colleagues at Reading found that rats and mice with induced seizures who were given the compound had less severe attacks than those on a placebo. CBDV was also found to work when combined with drugs currently used to control epilepsy.

Nomura Code industry analyst Samir Devani said the data was encouraging but the research was still very early stage.

Experts noted that the rats and mice in the study were made epileptic, which is not how the disease occurs in humans, and positive results in animals often do not translate into similarly good results in people.

Whalley's work was funded by, and performed in collaboration with, GW and its partner Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. The two drug companies have a global alliance on cannabis research.

GW has already commercialized one cannabis-derived drug called Sativex, an under-the-tongue spray that is on the market for treating spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. Sativex is also in late-stage development for cancer pain.

Read more here