Cannabidiol or CBD has been described as the star of the booming cannabis industry. CBD is a chemical compound derived from the cannabis plant. CBD is customarily extracted from industrial hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant. CBD is one of over 300 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Another well-known cannabinoid is Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. CBD and THC have been known to have a lot of healing abilities although they are different in the way they affect the body. Several studies into CBD has shown that it can heal diseases such as anxiety, chronic pain, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, hemorrhoids, and epilepsy. CBD is now considered one of the most potent medications for people who have epilepsy. It has been found that CBD has anti-convulsant abilities that will come in handy in treating people who suffer from seizures triggered by epilepsy.
Health authorities in the United States have approved a CBD-based drug for the treatment of seizures caused by epilepsy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the US approved Epidiolex in 2018. Epidiolex is manufactured in the United Kingdom by GW Pharmaceuticals. This company has a long history of researching and producing drugs made from cannabis. Several of its cannabis-based medicines have been approved in the UK. However, Epidiolex made history as being the first ever CBD-based medicine to be approved by the FDA in the US. The approval of Epidiolex has inspired many manufacturers of medicinal cannabis who have been calling for its legalization for years amid government prohibitions.
The FDA approved Epidiolex for the treatment of two rare but life-threatening forms of epilepsy. This GW Pharmaceuticals medicine is meant for the treatment of seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet Syndrome. These forms of epilepsy usually affect children two years and above. The seizures that Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet Syndrome triggers are severe and can be life-threatening.
According to high-ranking officials of the FDA, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet Syndrome affects the quality of life of children who suffer from them. The seizures that these syndromes causes can affect the quality of life of children who suffer from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet Syndrome.
“The difficult-to-control seizures that patients with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome experience have a profound impact on these patients’ quality of life,” said Billy Dunn, M.D, director of the FDA’s Division of Neurology Products. “In addition to another important treatment option for Lennox-Gastaut patients, this first-ever approval of a drug specifically for Dravet patients will provide a significant and needed improvement in the therapeutic approach to caring for people with this condition.”
The FDA has also said it supports severe scientific research into the potential health benefits of cannabis. Health officials have also warned people making unproven claims of diseases that CBD can cure. The FDA has also warned that people who sell CBD products that claim to have medicinal properties will be dealt with according to the law. All claims have to be proven, and all products containing CBD have to be tested by health authorities before they are sold to the general public.
