A cannabis compound could be the key against refractory epilepsy

A research made by the Colombian Association of Infant Neurology, after taking all the scientific evidence around the use of cannabidiol, showed that a cannabis derivative could help treat refractory epilepsy. This potentially would change the lives of 12 million of patients that currently suffer this terrible disease, giving them the opportunity to use the plant as a complementary treatment.

Colombia has a medical and scientific consensus that endorsed the use of a cannabis compound to treat a disease such as refractory epilepsy (frequent attacks that limit the patient’s abilities), which impacts at least 50 million people in the world, according to the Colombian Association of Infant Neurology.

The compound is cannabidiol (CBD), which will be used to treat this disease that mainly affects minors. For this reason, the medical consensus was led by the Colombian Association of Infant Neurology, represented by eleven doctors and specialists linked to the organization.

“Cannabidiol (CBD) does not produce psychotropic effects and is used regularly for therapeutic purposes due to its properties as an anticonvulsant, antianxiety, antipsychotic, among others,” said the expert consensus.

If you want to know more about cannabis, how medical cannabis could help mitigate the effects for epilepsy in many patients, and to find out the latest hemp news, download the Hemp.im mobile application.

How the use of cannabis will benefits many epilepsy patients

Regarding what it means to achieve this, Juan David Roa, a neuro pediatrician and member of the Association that led it, explained that ”what was done was to take all the medical and scientific evidence that exists around the use of cannabidiol and, after analyzing it with specialists in epilepsy and pediatric neurologists, we gave recommendations on how cannabidiol should be used to treat refractory epilepsy.”

He also pointed out that in Colombia, the disease is suffered by at least 18.2 citizens per thousand inhabitants, according to the Association, so it is key that this consensus has been reached, since it allows new alternatives for medical treatment.

Likewise, Roa added that this derivative will allow “to reduce the amount of seizures that a patient with epilepsy has and can improve the effectiveness of other medications, which allows to improve the control of the seizure.”

Doctors will have the option to prescribe cannabis

Faced with what this fact represents, Joan Sepúlveda, a member of the National College of Pharmaceutical Chemists, pointed out that it is “important” in the sense that doctors will have the possibility of prescribing it and it can become a treatment option.

“That scientific associations recognize the effectiveness of cannabis allows its use to be demystified” and, furthermore, Sepúlveda added, “the development of products that do not have narcotic activity are a good option for use in pharmacological therapies for patients.”

Even last June, the Ministry of Justice put into operation the Information Mechanism for the Control of Cannabis (Micc), which can be accessed virtually, to speed up the procedures for licenses and permits that are required for the use of cannabis with a scientific and medicinal approach.

People should stop using non-medical cannabis or artisan products

The analysts consulted agreed that having achieved this consensus will give patients and their families greater peace of mind so that they can access cannabinoid-based drugs, but that they comply with the regulations in the country.

“Currently, there are pharmaceutical-type drugs on the market, but of an artisanal type. The recommendation is that people stop resorting to these products made without technical rigor and that they have access to medicines that comply with the standards and scientific rigor required by the norm in the country,” added Roa.

Sepúlveda stated that in the country “there is at a technical level the installed capacity to produce these drugs, which are also exported to countries with high quality indices such as the United States.”

__

(Featured image by Pixabay via Pexels)

DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Hemp.im, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.

This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.

First published in El Colombiano, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Hemp.im assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Hemp.im is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.