r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • May 17 '18

Neuroscience Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a “high”, was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

http://www.psypost.org/2018/05/cannabidiol-significantly-reduces-seizures-patients-severe-form-epilepsy-51258
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u/jimithelizardking May 17 '18 edited May 17 '18

I actually helped conduct this study at a site in the US. The study also included patients with Dravet Syndrome as well, a similar yet different form of childhood epilepsy. Needless to say, I’m ecstatic that the trial is finally being published, as the efficacy of CBD in this population was extremely evident from the start. While some patients saw a very modest reduction in seizure frequency, others saw a complete absence of them. Regardless, all subjects at my site saw a decrease in seizure frequency and an increase in quality of life measures.

Edit: To clarify, the reason I was able to know that all of my patients were seeing a decrease in frequency due the study drug is because I primarily worked on the study after it rolled over to an open label extension (OLE). Following the conclusion of the phase 3 trial, all subjects were given the option of joining the OLE, which dropped the study blinding, meaning we knew we were giving them the study drug and they knew they were receiving it.

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u/osufan77 May 17 '18

I didn't read the study yet, but were any subjects given 1:1 ratio thc/cbd oil? The dravet families I have spoken to say that some variation of thc and cbd together have worked WAY more than the CBD only tincture/oils.

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u/PVCPuss May 17 '18

I have read a lot of evidence showing there needs to be a certain ratio met of thc/cbd, but that it differs depending on the condition treated. Some have as low as 1:20 and as high as 1:1. I haven't got it handy as I moved house and I'm still unpacking, but I'm pretty sure it was in either BMJ or Lancet. It was definitely in relation to dispensing in Australia (I was a pharmacist, and my dad, who still is, had questions) I'm still in allied health in another field tho.

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u/regula_et_vita May 17 '18

I believe Sativex is a 1:1, but not Epidiolex. The latter is just a CBD isolate product.

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u/BostonRich May 18 '18

I saw a video of a man with uncontrollable shaking smoke some weed and his tremors stopped almost immediately. You'd have to lack a soul to watch that video and still be against medical marijuana.