Epilepsy is a fairly common disorder that millions of Americans suffer from, it is a neurological disorder that can cause seizures in patients. The seizures can range from fairly mild to very severe, with the frequency going from one or two a year to more than a dozen each day. Right now there is no cure for epilepsy you can only manage your illness with medication. For some patients medication proves ineffective, and this is where cannabis comes in. Since the legalization of medical marijuana there have been patients who have drastically reduced the number of seizures by using CBD oil to treat epilepsy.
What Exactly is CBD Oil?
Cannabidiol is one of the cannabinoids that is derived from the cannabis plant, it is low in THC meaning that patients aren’t going to get “high” from the oil. There is science to back up the effectiveness of CBD oil, it is a neuroprotectant with antipsychotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-ischemic properties. CBD oil is ingested rather than smoked. By digesting it you can retain the medicinal properties and it makes it more effective than smoking marijuana for medical use.
CBD Oil in the News
In the past few years since the legalization of medical marijuana there are have been dozens of news reports and specials done on the effectiveness of cannabis and CBD oil in treating a variety of illnesses. All of the big networks have featured at least one story on the effectiveness of cannabis and why the public has been pushing so hard for legalization. Many of the stations report on the effectiveness in treating chronic pain and in reducing the effects of anxiety or PTSD. But there was one special report that made many people look at CBD oil in a much different light.
The Story of Charlotte Figi
Back in 2013 Dr Sanjay Gupta did a CNN special on Charlotte Figi, a little girl with Dravet Syndrome. Charlotte was suffering from more than 300 seizures in a week and none of the medications or dietary changes were helping to manage Charlotte’s epilepsy. This was around the same time that Colorado was one of the first states to legalize recreational use. Charlotte’s family heard about high CBD cannabis extract and decided to give it a try. They worked with a local dispensary who created a special strain for her that reduced her epilepsy down to 3 minor seizures per month. Here is a look at the documentary.
After CBD oil proved so successful in Charlotte’s case it attracted the attention of Dr Margaret Gedde who now follows a dozen patients who are successfully treating their severe epilepsy with the same CBD oil that was created for Charlotte. There has been a 90% decrease in the number of seizures the patients have suffered. The effects of CBD oil on epilepsy have been wonderful for these patients. This has led to more families relocating to Colorado to try the same strain.
