When it comes to cannabis’ benefits for health conditions, seizures come to mind for many people thanks CNN and other media coverage of families that report improvements in children with epilepsy with cannabis oil use. Thus far, the mainstream medical community has been cautious about such reports, but early results from two small studies presented at the American Epilepsy Society’s annual meeting in December are promising.
“The first study, led by Orrin Devinsky, director of the comprehensive epilepsy center at NYU Langone Medical Center, involved giving a drop of liquid cannabidiol (CBD), a key component of marijuana, to 261 patients with severe epilepsy for three months. The participants, most of whom were children with an average age of 11 and were at 16 different sites around the country, continued to take their regular anti-seizure medications as well. By the end of that time period, their seizures were reduced by 45 percent on average.
Devinsky’s study did report some side effects: 5 percent of patients experienced changes in their liver enzymes or diarrhea. And 12 percent stopped taking the medication during the study because it didn’t appear to help. Results from a second small study were more mixed. More research on cannabis and seizures is certainly needed. Case studies and anecdotal evidence of benefits are generally supportive of benefits ranging from less anxiety, improved wellbeing, and fewer seizures.
Laura Lagano MS, RDN, CDN has been featured on the radio airwaves, educating, and sharing information about cannabis as a medicinal herb and its innate healing properties. These interviews will give you an insightful look into the life-changing paradigm shift taking place within the natural and holistic health sector and the cannabis industry.
‘Steinmetz says that as cannabis moves out of the black market, customers want to know more about it. “The next step in the evolution of the industry is to know where it is coming from — who grew it, where they grew it and how they grew it,” he says.’
As the cannabis industry continues to grow in California and across the US certain aspects, such as where the plant is grown will likely be key differentiators for up and coming companies. In addition to the specifics of how the plant is grown there has already been a change in addressing the plant by its formal name, cannabis, instead of weed or marijuana. More changes are expected as this industry develops and transforms.
‘Swami estimates that the annual cannabis crop in Mendocino is worth between $2.6bn and $5.4bn at wholesale prices, a lifeline for the farmers. “It is the last refuge of the family farm,” he says. “You go into the wilderness, you work hard and you come back with your crop. In some crazy way it is the American dream.’
Everyone wants to jump on board as the cannabis industry booms with the hopes to be the one that sweeps the market. So far start-ups have popped up all over California and Colorado.
“Silicon Valley lies 300km south of the farmers’ market but its presence is clearly felt. Marijuana is the latest craze to sweep through the tech world, as entrepreneurs and investors look to cannabis to be the next big thing.”
In California the cannabis industry looks a bit different than other states with legal medical marijuana. A lot of tech-based companies are partnering with dispensaries providing software, apps and big data.
“Investments in marijuana-related companies have reached $200m over the past 12 months, quadruple the levels of the previous year, according to CB Insights, a venture capital database.”
One company that has taken off is Ezae which delivers cannabis to your door, the model is similar to Uber. As more dispensaries open up across the US it will be vital to find ways to make yourself unique such as offering delivery or finding a unique niche in the market.
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Parents have been desperately trying to find relief for their children suffering from neurological disorders like schizophrenia and autism. Thanks to the Obama Administration’s efforts in late June bureaucratic obstacles that were prohibiting the compounds found in cannabidiol oil from being researched were removed. This opened up legal avenues to apply marijuana medically and there is at least now hope for more research into what types of therapeutic relief can be found for children suffering from these disorders.
“Compared to the studies done for schizophrenia, which number more than 1,000, autism and marijuana has gotten almost no research attention”.
Unfortunately, autism still has little to no research being conducted to see if the symptoms can be treated using the compounds found in cannabidiol oil. Social media movements, however, may play a key role in gaining attention to drive further research.
“That hasn’t stopped a grassroots movement from growing up around using pot as an autism therapeutic, with one Facebook group, MAMMAS (Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism), boasting almost 5,000 followers, and one writer and autism parent advocating for its use from a public pulpit.”
The concern about the long term effects of THC and the question of whether or not a short term relief is worthwhile have slowed down the efforts to begin research. This has led authors to push for the research to be in high-cannabinoid/low-THC products.
“No one brings up using willow trees for pain or blood thinners, even though they originated the active compound in aspirin, and no one says they take ’foxglove’ as a heart medication–they take digoxin instead.”
There needs to be a shift in the way we think and talk about marijuana because the plant is full of many compounds, some harmful and some beneficial. Our focus needs to be on the parts of the plant that can help us find a cure for disorders that desperately need a solution.
