The Use of Cannabis for Treating Seizures
Seizures occur when there is an unusual activity of nerve cells called neurons in the brain. They could be caused by atherosclerosis, drug and alcohol withdrawal, brain tumor, head injury, meningitis, Alzheimer’s, encephalitis or stroke.
Marijuana has proven to be very useful for treating seizures. Although many strains are said to have a medical effect against seizures, there is a medical sativa strain called Charlotte’s web that is widely known in the medical marijuana field for its ability to treat seizures. Charlotte’s web is named that way because it was used to treat a patient called Charlotte who was experiencing epileptic seizures. Charlotte’s web also gets its name from the way its buds are covered by big web crystals Charlotte’s web strain is widely known in the marijuana industry for its usefulness in curing epileptic seizures. Marijuana is a natural anti-inflammatory. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it can reduce the internal stress on nerves and muscles. In a lot of states in the United States where they haven’t approved the sales of marijuana, Charlotte’s web is exempted because of its medical uses. It has a therapeutic strength that can relieve pain and spasms especially when treating children.
The endocannabinoid system controls the response of the body to various stimuli. When the receptors of the endocannabinoids system do not function well, one starts to feel stress, spasm and pain. But when marijuana is used, CBD, THC and other cannabinoids will bind to the receptors and readjust the neurons synapses.
Epileptic seizures occur when there are unusual electrical discharges or misfiring in brain cells. This misfiring will cause convulsions in the body. It can also alter the senses and cause unconsciousness a lot of times. Marijuana can help to reduce such epileptic seizures. In 2003, some scientists at the Virginia Commonwealth University conducted a study where they experimented some marijuana extract on some epileptic rats. 10 hours later, the rats were rid of the seizures by the drug. Cannabinoids control seizures through brain cells that regulate relaxation and control emotionality. The Epilepsy Foundation and some other parent advocates support the usage of marijuana as a suitable treatment method for patients suffering from epilepsy.
Epilepsy is not a mental illness or a contagious disease. It is a disorder in the brain where neurons or clusters of nerve cells behave erratically. Those that suffer from epilepsy are majorly children and they have severe and frequent seizures that do not respond to recommended therapies. This could also be caused by resistance to the treatments.
Moreover, there are non-epileptic seizures (NES) that occur as tongue biting, twitching, loss of consciousness, convulsions, loss of bladder control, stiffening etc. Non-epileptic seizures are mostly found in women and those that suffer from depression. It could be caused by diabetes, sexual or physical abuse, diabetes and heart conditions. There are frequent painful spasms that could affect the quality of life of the patient. It is this condition that helped to hasten legislative approval for the marijuana therapies.
About 150,000 patients are diagnosed with epilepsy every year. Overall, about 2 million Americans suffer from epilepsy. The frequency of epilepsy can vary by age and it could be made worse because of other conditions. A lot of patients respond to medications and use these medications to manage their epilepsy. There are others that only respond positively to marijuana.
There are several strains that could help people suffering from several symptoms related to seizures and their consequences – for example euphoric strains like Sour Diesel can make ones day easier and happier providing energy, while other type of strains (indica dominant mostly) could ease the pain.
There are various medications that are usually prescribed to reduce how bad the spasticity is. Cannabis is effective for reducing all the stress associated with the condition that can trigger it. In any case there is clear evidence that the future of medical Cannabis against seizures, looks very promising.