When it comes to medical cannabis, there are a number of issues that must be considered. One of the largest of those is how to go about prescribing it to children who suffer from severe conditions that greatly affect their quality of life, and in some cases end them at a very early stage.
A lot of the fear arises from the high-level THC that is on the market in places around the world. This is the psychoactive part of cannabis and so it is perfectly understandable to be concerned when it comes to children’s medicine.
A strain of plant known as Charlotte’s Web, named after Charlotte Figi, has been grown by Joel Stanley and his four brother in Colorado.
Charlotte Figi suffers from a genetic disorder which brings about violent seizures weekly. In addition she was confined to a wheelchair and suffered a repeated heart attack. She was 5 at the time.
After being fruitless with the medicine that was available, the Figi family found Joel Stanley who admits that he originally had reservations about giving cannabis to children however was convinced by the amount of research that Charlotte’s mother, Paige had done.
Charlotte does not smoke the cannabis to get it into her system, instead. The CBD, which may have properties which tackle seizures, is extracted by a chemist under laboratory conditions, and then mixed with olive oil so that it can be taken orally through the mouth or feeding tube.
Paige Figi has reported to have said that through the use of Charlotte’s Web, her daughter has been able to walk, talk in complete sentences and eat unassisted.
Hollie Brown, whose daughter has shown similar reactions to Charlotte, has added that
‘It’s the most hope lots of us have ever had.’
The problem, however, is that there is no medical evidence to support the claims that Charlotte’s Web has to prevent the symptoms of epilepsy.
Dr Larry Wolk, the chief medical officer of the state health department has admitted
‘We don’t have any peer-reviewed, published literature to support it.’
The vice president of the American Epilepsy Society, Amy Brooks-Kayal has also made comments that stories such as Charlottes can be isolated cases, as attacks of epilepsy can come and go randomly, and so a full assessment of potential dangers needs to be addressed first.
The society, however, calls for more research to be conducted on the potentials of cannabis treatments. If correctly studied under laboratory conditions, then it would be possible to isolate the particular elements of the plant that goes towards particular treatment. Because Charlotte’s Web is non-psychoactive, it does have its benefits, and hold huge sway when it comes to legalisation for medical purposes.
There are a number of cases like Charlotte’s that need to be looked at in more detail, and indeed studied so that more people can benefit from it in the future.
Donald Burger and his wife, Aileen moved to Colorado Springs because they were told that the only chance that their daughter had was brain surgery. However, they have found that the use of Charlotte’s Web has meant that they don’t need to perform a very dangerous procedure on such a young child.
Whether there is more to this topic in genetic terms, or that Charlotte’s Web is actually working, it is greatly important that research is performed so that we have more access to the facts. The potential benefits that have been displayed, show these children’s quality of live to be greatly improved by a plant that is still so condemned.
Further findings may suggest that this is not the case, but so long as we keep an open mind, and approach this scientifically, then we will know for certain.
Written by Anthony Rodden
Image by Coleen Whitfield
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