Medical Marijuana’s Long History of Helping People with Seizure Disorders
Getting your medical marijuana card in Virginia can give you access to some of the best and most beneficial remedies for multiple conditions. Medical marijuana can help with anything from depression to glaucoma. Early on, it was realized that cannabis can help those with seizure disorders, including children! Let’s take a look at the interesting (and quite long!) history of medical marijuana as a treatment for seizures.
Medical Marijuana’s History in US Medicine and Beyond
When was medical marijuana first used as an anticonvulsant to treat symptoms associated with seizures? In the Middle East and India, thousands of years ago!
The history is not quite as long in the US, but it’s still pretty impressive given our country's youth. You might not realize it, but cannabis was actually widely used as a medication in the US during the 19th and early 20th centuries. While the remainder of the 20th century and the War on Drugs may have sidetracked this, doctors began to acknowledge the benefits of medical marijuana once again in the 2000s and early 2010s. Its efficacy in treating seizures in particular brought this natural medication back into doctors’ good graces.
How MMJ Treats Seizure Disorders
How exactly does medical marijuana reduce seizure symptoms in patients? The answer is not precisely known. Some research indicates that cannabis stimulates the body’s own endocannabinoid system, causing the brain to release its own version of THC. This, in turn, calms seizures. Researchers are continuing to look into cannabis and its efficacy, but what is clear for now is that it is not only effective in treating seizure disorders, but also particularly effective for a unique segment of the population— children.
Seizure Disorders in Children
Many counties around Virginia, such as Fairfax County and Loudoun County, have begun defining protocols in schools for administering medical marijuana to students. This is due in large part to how effective it has been in children with seizures.
A recent study conducted in the UK showed that 90 percent of patients with severe epilepsy experienced improvements in their symptoms after taking medical marijuana. The children were given THC in low doses combined with CBD. Perhaps more importantly, medical marijuana was just as effective in helping patients who had experienced no or few results with traditional epilepsy medication.
Medical marijuana certainly seems to offer a great alternative when it comes to treating children with epilepsy, and research into medical marijuana as a pediatric medication continues. Parents interested in administering medical marijuana to a child with a certified recommendation can go through a special application process with the Commonwealth.
The FDA and Epidiolex
Interestingly, while the feds have dragged their heels when it comes to legalizing cannabis at the federal level, the FDA has approved the use of a cannabis-derived medication to treat certain seizure disorders. This plant-based drug derived from cannabis was approved to treat Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome in 2018 in patients aged 2 or older.
CBD Oil and Epilepsy
Medical marijuana is just as effective for adults, too. Many adults turn to CBD oil or other medical marijuana products high in CBD to treat their epilepsy. The Epilepsy Foundation has thrown its support behind the medication, stating that it is in support of all medications recommended by a doctor that benefit patients.
What Virginians with epilepsy should keep in mind is that taking medical marijuana doesn’t have to mean getting “high” or loopy. In fact, given the high CBD count in many of the products that help with epilepsy, patients should only experience relief without any of the complications!
Get a Medical Marijuana Card to Start Treating Your Seizure Symptoms Today!
You can get the relief you need from seizures with medical marijuana! Schedule an appointment with an online VA medical marijuana doctor today to start gaining access to safe and legal cannabis products, including tinctures, flower, concentrates and more for your loved one or patient!
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Virginia Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness
safely and conveniently through increased access to MMJ. Our focus on
education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by
providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (888) 633-5808, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Virginia Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information.