Medical marijuana is becoming a popular treatment for a myriad of diseases. In the recent years, people suffering from epilepsy have come to depend on cannabis sativa as an effective way to keep seizures at bay. Indeed, so impressive has medical marijuana been in combating epilepsy that the FDA has so far approved clinical trials. It’s also the reason why investigations as to why this drug is so effective continue to take center stage in many organizations. More good news… Medical marijuana for epilepsy is now available through our medical marijuana doctor in our Margate clinic.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy refers to a neurological disorder where there’s abnormal brain activity usually leading to seizures. Other symptoms include unusual behavior and loss of awareness. This disorder can happen to anyone regardless of sex, age, or race. In America, almost 4% of the entire population suffers from epilepsy at some point in their lives. What’s more saddening is that epilepsy is responsible for a jaw-dropping 34% of all childhood deaths. It’s a disease that hides in plain sight, hence the need to come up with an effective cure for it.
Medical marijuana for epilepsy
Over the years, medical cannabis has proven to be both safe and effective in the treatment of epilepsy. What makes medical marijuana so preferable is that it doesn’t have the severe side effects of other traditional anti-seizure treatments. Such side effects include sedation, bone density loss, unsteadiness, weight gain, skin rashes, and irritability. Modern treatments for epilepsy usually involve surgery and drug therapy, which are intense compared to using marijuana.
But why exactly does medical cannabis work?
The human body has a cannabinoid system that is regulated by the cannabinoids present in medical marijuana. One of the cannabinoids is cannabidiol (CBD) which helps control seizures. CBD is different from another active ingredient in marijuana called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in that it does not cause any psychoactive effects. THC is responsible for the “high” feeling one gets after smoking or eating marijuana. Thus, by using medical marijuana, the patient gets to ward off seizures without needing to worry about psychoactive effects.
Of course, seizures come in different types, so the cannabis used for treatment may differ from patient to patient. But generally, strains that have higher levels of CBD and lower levels of THC tend to work best for most patients. Your doctor should be able to recommend which strain is best for you.
Proven results
Recent studies published in leading journals reveal the unprecedented effectiveness of CBD for epilepsy. In one study published in the Scientific American, the addition of CBD to existing medications helped reduce seizures in about 37% of participants. Even more impressively, some patients reported their seizures to resolve almost completely. In another study at Children’s Hospital Colorado, children suffering from epilepsy experienced drastic improvement after receiving treatment using medical marijuana. More than half of the patients experienced a significant reduction in seizures. These reports serve to offer great promise to people suffering from epilepsy.
The commonality of epilepsy is undoubted, yet not many people pay attention to this extremely disruptive and often deadly disorder. Thanks to the due diligence that medical marijuana is receiving from scientists, the future has never looked brighter for patients with epilepsy.
Medical marijuana is no available at Care Wellness Center in Margate, Florida. If you’re suffering with epilepsy let us help. Give us a call today to schedule with our medical marijuana doctor. Our wellness center is minutes away from Coral Springs, Coconut Creek and Pompano Beach Florida.
Resources:
- https://www.leafly.com/news/health/marijuana-and-epilepsy-seizure-treatment
- https://www.healthline.com/health/marijuana-and-epilepsy
- https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/other-treatment-approaches/medical-marijuana-and-epilepsy
