Medical Marijuana extract can reduce severe Epilepsy among Kids: Study

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on May 30, 2017.

A recent study published by New England Journal of Medicine on pot medication, has revealed that a compound (oil) derived from marijuana can boost in reducing seizures among kids suffering from severe Epilepsy. The research ascertains the claims made by some parents for years now.

The compound ‘Cannabidol,’ is an oil derived from marijuana which can be purified and used.

The study was conducted on 120 children in the United States and Europe, aged between 2 to 18. As a part of the study, the children suffering from severe epilepsy were administered doses of liquid Cannabidol, two times a day or an inactive placebo treatment for two weeks. The report suggests around 43 per cent of kids showed a drop of 50 per cent during the course of the study.

The report published after the survey states that, “Among patients with the Dravet syndrome, cannabidiol resulted in a greater reduction in convulsive-seizure frequency than placebo and was associated with higher rates of adverse events.”

Though there have been instances of pot medication treating seizures in severe epilepsy, a survey and documentation has been done for the first time by scientists.

However, the study also noted several side-effects of using the treatment including diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite and gastrointestinal symptoms. Elevation in liver enzymes was also observed in a few patients leading to liver toxicity.

Cannabidol is not available to anyone except the manufacturer GW Pharmaceuticals, who also funded the study. Since, the marijuana compound id not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the company now plans to send it for approval this year, hoping to roll it out as a prescribed medication to reduce seizures in severe epilepsy patients by next year.

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