Whole-Plant Cannabis Drastically Reduces Treatment-Resistant Childhood Epilepsy Symptoms
This was a retrospective observational study of 10 children with epilepsy who had not responded to conventional treatment, including the FDA-approved CBD isolate drug Epidiolex. The children were aged 1 to 13 years old. The study was published in December 2021 in BMJ Paediatrics Open.
The results were impressive with 100% of the children showing an average of an 86% reduction in seizure frequency per month. Data were collected from the parents or caregivers via phone or video calls between January and May 2021.
The average dose of the full-spectrum cannabis oil was about 5mg THC and 170mg CBD. The authors are currently testing for amounts of terpenes, flavonoids, and secondary cannabinoids. Since this study took place in the United Kingdom, the costs were an extreme burden, and averaged about $1200 USD per month.
"Parents and carers reported significant improvements in health and well-being of their children following initiation of whole-plant CBMPs. Particularly, these improvements were noted in sleep, eating, behaviour and cognition."
"Moreover, our data suggest that whole-plant medical cannabis products are superior to isolated CBD products in the patients examined."