Claim: Cannabis Derivative Cannabidiol Reduces Seizures in Severe Epilepsy Disorder
Verdict: SUPPORTS

Retrieved passages:
title: Charlotte's web (cannabis)
text: phase 3 clinical trials completed in 2017 demonstrated the efficacy of cannabidiol in reducing convulsive seizure activity at doses of 10–20 mg/kg per day in children with treatment-resistant Dravet Syndrome and treatment-resistant Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. Due to the anecdotal nature of the health claims being made medical bodies have published statements of concern. A position statement by the American Epilepsy Society states: The recent anecdotal reports of positive effects of the marijuana derivative cannabidiol for some individuals with treatment-resistant epilepsy give reason for hope. However, we must remember that these are only anecdotal reports, and robust scientific evidence for the use

title: Charlotte's web (cannabis)
text: no comparison with placebo was possible due to the small number of people in the trials. The drugs were well tolerated. A third review found that no reliable conclusions about the effect of cannabis on epilepsy could be drawn due to the poor quality of available data, but further research may be warranted because of the good safety profile observed in small clinical trials. A 2017 study in children with drug-resistant Dravet syndrome, using a comparatively high dose of 20 mg/kg, found cannabidiol reduced convulsive seizures (but not non-convulsive seizures), and resulted in more side effects compared with placebo. Three

title: Medical cannabis research
text: by GW Pharmaceuticals for experimental treatment of epilepsy, underwent stage-two trials in the US in 2014. A 2017 study found that cannabidiol decreased the rate of seizures in those with Dravet syndrome but increased the rate of sleepiness and trouble with the liver. In 2009, the American Glaucoma Society noted that while cannabis can help lower intraocular pressure, it recommended against its use because of "its side effects and short duration of action, coupled with a lack of evidence that its use alters the course of glaucoma". As of 2008 relatively little research had been done concerning therapeutic effects of

title: Medical cannabis research
text: and epilepsy, "current data from studies in humans are extremely limited, and no conclusions can be drawn". The mechanisms by which cannabis may be effective in the treatment of epilepsy remain unclear. Some reasons for the lack of clinical research have been the introduction of new synthetic and more stable pharmaceutical anticonvulsants, the recognition of important adverse side effects, and legal restrictions to the use of cannabis-derived medicines – although in December 2015, the DEA (United States Drug Enforcement Administration) has eased some of the regulatory requirements for conducting FDA-approved clinical trials on cannabidiol (CBD). Epidiolex, a cannabis-based product developed

title: Medical cannabis
text: efficacy is not clear in treating neurological problems, including multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, and movement problems. The combination of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) extracts give subjective relief of spasticity, though objective post-treatment assessments do not reveal significant changes. Evidence also suggests that oral cannabis extract is effective for reducing patient-centered measures of spasticity. A trial of cannabis is deemed to be a reasonable option if other treatments have not been effective. Its use for MS is approved in ten countries. A 2012 review found no problems with tolerance, abuse, or addiction. There is tentative evidence that medical cannabis is

title: Charlotte's web (cannabis)
text: of marijuana is lacking... at present, the epilepsy community does not know if marijuana is a safe and effective treatment, nor do they know the long-term effects that marijuana will have on learning, memory and behavior, especially in infants and young children. Cannabis-derived products are not mentioned in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence epilepsy treatment guidelines. Charlotte's Web was developed in 2011 by the Stanley brothers (Joel, Jesse, Jon, Jordan, Jared and Josh) through crossbreeding a strain of marijuana with industrial hemp. This process created a variety with less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and more cannabidiol (CBD) than typical

title: Charlotte's web (cannabis)
text: use for intractable epilepsy with the consent of a neurologist. Also on March 21, 2014, an Arizona court found "that Arizona's medical marijuana law allows consumption of the plant in extract form." On March 20, 2014, the Florida House of Representatives Budget Committee passed the "so-called Charlotte's Web measure (CS/HB 843)" designed to limit prosecutors' ability to prosecute those in possession of low THC/high CBD marijuana ("0.5 percent or less of tetrahydrocannabinol and more than 15 percent of cannabidiol") used for treating seizures. The law took effect July 1, 2014. Since then, Florida legislators have passed a bill with bipartisan

title: TRPV2
text: and lengthening rate which ultimately compromise cardiac contractile function. The cannabis constituent, cannabidiol (CBD), is a compound that acts in the release of neurotransmitters in the brain (part of the class of chemicals called cannabinoids) and has been researched for its positive effects in the treatment of epilepsy. CBD is able to bind to TRPV2 (as only plant-derived cannabinoids are TRPV2 agonists), which results in a reduction of epileptic activity and, consequently, a decrease in mortality. Recent research demonstrated that, in vitro, CBD decreases epileptiform local field potential burst amplitude and burst duration and increases burst frequency. Testing CBD in

title: Cannabidiol
text: epilepsy disorders. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has assigned Epidiolex a Schedule V classification while non-Epidiolex CBD remains a Schedule I drug prohibited for any use. CBD is not scheduled under any United Nations drug control treaties, and in 2018 the World Health Organization recommended that it remain unscheduled. Medical reviews published in 2017 and 2018 incorporating numerous clinical trials concluded that cannabidiol is an effective treatment for certain types of childhood epilepsy. An orally administered cannabidiol solution (brand name Epidiolex) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in June 2018 as a treatment for two rare forms

title: Cannabidiol
text: of childhood epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Preliminary research on other possible therapeutic uses for cannabidiol include several neurological disorders, but the findings have not been confirmed by sufficient high-quality clinical research to establish such uses in clinical practice. Preliminary research indicates that cannabidiol may reduce adverse effects of THC, particularly those causing intoxication and sedation, but only at high doses. Safety studies of cannabidiol showed it is well-tolerated, but may cause tiredness, diarrhea, or changes in appetite as common adverse effects. Epidiolex documentation lists sleepiness, insomnia and poor quality sleep, decreased appetite, diarrhea, and fatigue. Laboratory evidence indicated

title: Charlotte's web (cannabis)
text: 2014 review by the American Academy of Neurology similarly concluded that "data are insufficient to support or refute the efficacy of cannabinoids for reducing seizure frequency." The Cochrane review suggests cannabinoids be reserved for people with symptoms that are not controllable by other means, who have been evaluated by EEG-video monitoring to confirm diagnosis, and are not eligible for better established treatments such as surgery and neurostimulation. A second review described four placebo-controlled trials of cannabadiol including 48 people with a disease that was not manageable by other means. Three out of four trials reported some reduction in seizures, but

title: Medical cannabis research
text: use of marijuana pills and sprays in the treatment of MS. Cannabis is being investigated for its possible use in inflammatory bowel disease but there is only weak evidence for its benefits as a treatment. A 2007 review said cannabidiol had shown potential to relieve convulsion, inflammation, cough, congestion and nausea, and to inhibit cancer cell growth. Preliminary studies have also shown potential over psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Because cannabidiol relieves the aforementioned symptoms, cannabis strains with a high amount of CBD may benefit people with multiple sclerosis or frequent anxiety attacks. Medical cannabis research Medical

title: Cannabidivarin
text: GWP42006) because of a demonstrated neurochemical pathway for previously-observed anti-epileptic and anti-convulsive action. GW has begun a phase 2 trial for adult epilepsy, and is to begin trials of this CBDV product in children in 2016 in Australia. Cannabidivarin Cannabidivarin (CBDV) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in "Cannabis". It is a homolog of cannabidiol (CBD), with the side-chain shortened by two methylene bridges (CH units). Plants with relatively high levels of CBDV have been reported in feral populations of "C. indica" ( = "C. sativa" ssp. "indica" var. "kafiristanica") from northwest India, and in hashish from Nepal. CBDV has anticonvulsant

title: Charlotte's web (cannabis)
text: side effects." According to Alan Shackelford, Charlotte Figi's physician: "We really don't know how it works... The cannabidiol seems to act as a neuro-stabilizer, but how? The research is minuscule on this." Orrin Devinsky, a neurologist at New York University's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, where he will conduct clinical trials on Epidiolex, a high-CBD drug from GW Pharmaceuticals, expressed his sympathy for those who do not want to wait for research results: He also expressed concern that the number of parents using the Charlotte's Web extract will make it harder to find children for the clinical trials, and that: There are

title: Charlotte's web (cannabis)
text: law permits the use of medical cannabis for eight conditions: cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, muscle spasms, seizures, severe pain, severe nausea and dramatic weight loss, and muscle atrophy. The publicity surrounding anecdotal reports of successful treatment of intractable epilepsy with cannabinoids is likely to lead to a surge in interest. In 2013, the parents of a two-year-old with Dravet syndrome confronted New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who signed a bill allowing access for sick children to medical marijuana in a controversy dubbed "pot for tots". In 2014, legislative proposals in Utah, Arizona, New York, Washington state, Minnesota, and Florida were considered,

title: Cannabis in the United Kingdom
text: were officially presented and accepted in the House and the policy was set to come into effect on 1 November. Sativex is currently the only approved cannabis-derived medicine and it is indicated for the treatment of spasticity caused by the degenerative, incurable and rare neurological-condition multiple sclerosis. Nabilone is another cannabinoid drug that has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency(MHRA), but this is a synthetic cannabinoids and not naturally derived from the plant. Nabilone is a synthetic form of THC and can be prescribed to treat nausea and vomiting caused by cytotoxic chemotherapy. Epidiolex, is currently

title: Cannabidiol
text: for rare types of childhood epilepsy, Epidiolex was rescheduled (by the Drug Enforcement Administration) as a Schedule V drug to allow for its prescription use. This change applies only to FDA-approved products containing no more than 0.1 percent THC. This allows GW Pharmaceuticals to sell Epidiolex, but it does not apply broadly and all other CBD-containing products remain Schedule I drugs. Epidiolex still requires rescheduling in some states before it can be prescribed in those states. A CNN program that featured Charlotte's Web cannabis in 2013 brought increased attention to the use of CBD in the treatment of seizure disorders.

title: Cannabinoid
text: drug Epidiolex has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. Cannabinoids can be separated from the plant by extraction with organic solvents. Hydrocarbons and alcohols are often used as solvents. However, these solvents are flammable and many are toxic. Butane may be used, which evaporates extremely quickly. Supercritical solvent extraction with carbon dioxide is an alternative technique. Once extracted, isolated components can be separated using wiped film vacuum distillation or other distillation techniques. Also, techniques such as SPE or SPME are found useful in the

title: Medical cannabis research
text: cannabinoids in the treatment of dementia ... [had] ... poorly presented results and did not provide sufficient data to draw any useful conclusions". There is emerging evidence that cannabidiol may help slow cell damage in diabetes mellitus type 1. There is a lack of meaningful evidence of the effects of medical cannabis use on people with diabetes; a 2010 review concluded that "the potential risks and benefits for diabetic patients remain unquantified at the present time". A 2016 review in the "New England Journal of Medicine" said that although there was a lot of hype and anecdotes surrounding medical cannabis

title: Medical cannabis in the United States
text: non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of seizure disorders, particularly in children. The use of CBD to treat seizure disorders gained increased attention with a number of media reports in 2012 and 2013, and by the end of 2015 sixteen states had "low-THC, high-CBD" laws in effect. Additionally, two states (Indiana and Kansas) have since passed laws to allow the use of CBD without need for a doctor's consultation. Currently, all but three states explicitly allow the legal use of CBD in some form, whether through doctor's recommendation, doctor's prescription (Epidiolex), or without the