More Evidence Backs CBD For Kids' Rare Epilepsy

WebMD

TUESDAY, April 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There’s new data supporting the use of Epidiolex — the first cannabidiol (CBD) medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — to help curb a form of epilepsy.

The research found that the drug reduced seizures by nearly half in children with Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of the neurological disorder.

The FDA approved Epidiolex last fall for the treatment of Dravet syndrome and another rare but severe form of childhood epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The new study was funded by GW Research Ltd., developer of Epidiolex.

Dravet syndrome typically begins in infancy and can lead to intellectual disability and frequent, prolonged seizures, noted a team of researchers led by Dr. Ian Miller, from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

“It’s exciting to be able to offer another alternative for children with this debilitating form of epilepsy and their families,” Miller said. He and his colleagues will present their findings next week at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting, in Philadelphia.

“The children in this study had already tried an average of four epilepsy drugs with no success and at the time were taking an average of three additional drugs, so to have this measure of success with cannabidiol is a major victory,” Miller said in a meeting news release.

The study included 199 patients, average age 9, who were divided into three groups. One group received 20 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) dose per day of Epidiolex (in liquid form), while the second group received 10 mg/kg per day, and the third group received a placebo.

CBD products are derived from marijuana, but do not include THC, the active agent in pot that causes a “high.”

After 14 weeks of treatment, seizures with convulsions fell 46% in the high-dose group, 49% in the low-dose group, and 27% in the placebo group.

Total seizures fell 47% in the high-dose group, 56% in the low-dose group, and 30% in the placebo group.

Seizures were reduced by half or more in 49% of the high-dose group, 44% of the low-dose group, and 26% of the placebo group.

Original Article Source: https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/news/20190430/more-evidence-backs-cbd-for-kids-rare-epilepsy?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Comments

Mormon Church Faces Potential Lawsuit Over Medical Marijuana Opposition

Political committees concerned with marijuana law reform in four states have waged an information war over the past year, first to qualify cannabis initiatives for the ballot, and then to support or oppose those measures in the lead-up to last week’s midterm elections. In total, over $12.9 million in cash and in-kind services was spent attempting to convince voters about these marijuana ballot measures. Now that voters have had their say, Marijuana Moment decided to calculate how much each “yes” and “no” vote cost the committees on either side of the debate. Our calculations are based on dollars raised and disclosed before the election, since final totals of actual expenditures won’t be available until December or January reports required in the states that voted on cannabis. Michigan In Michigan, where voters approved marijuana legalization , our calculations show that the two anti-legalization committees spent about $1.28 per “no” vote, as they raised $2.37 million for ...

Dixie Brands To Enter Oklahoma Marijuana Market Through Deal With Globus

Dixie Brands, a Denver-based consumer packaged goods company, said it is entering the Oklahoma medical cannabis market through a manufacturing and distribution agreement with Globus Holdings. Oklahoma marks the sixth state where Dixie has operations. The company trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol DIXI . There are roughly 130,000 medical marijuana patients in Oklahoma, where voters approved a ballot measure in June 2018. For more details about the agreement, click here . Get access to more in-depth market analysis, premium features on cannabis investing trends and monthly executive webcasts with an Investor Intelligence subscription . Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/dixie-brands-enters-oklahoma-marijuana-market-through-deal-with-globus/

NY Dem Chair Warns Against Passing Voter-Supported Marijuana Legalization Bill

The head of New York’s Democratic Party said on Thursday that if the state Senate votes on a marijuana legalization bill, his party’s lawmakers run the risk of alienating voters and losing reelection next year. Jay Jacobs, the state party chairman, claimed that several “far progressive” measures, including cannabis legalization, lack popularity in certain areas across the state such as Long Island and upstate New York. He cautioned lawmakers against putting the issue to a vote, arguing that voters would “throw us out of office.” “It could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” he told Newsday. Polling doesn’t support that conclusion, though. According to a March 2019 survey from Quinnipiac, 65 percent of New Yorkers are in favor of allowing adults to legally possess cannabis for personal use. That includes 63 percent of respondents in upstate New York and 65 percent of those living in the suburbs. Sixty-six percent of independents statewide also back ending marijuana prohibit...

Norma Pence

Search This Blog