In spite of years in the medical marijuana market, we still have tons of nonbelievers doubting the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) in dealing with symptoms for physical and mental health conditions such as sleeplessness, anxiety or epilepsy. However a new study released in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior suggests that epilepsy clients who used a type of artisanal CBD-based product showed a "higher quality of life, lower psychiatric symptom severity, and improved sleep" than those who did not.
The study suggests that cost and access were driving factors in epilepsy clients who went with artisanal CBD instead of Epidiolex, the CBD-based drug approved by the FDA back in 2018 to treat the two most uncommon and extreme types of epilepsy that develop in early youth: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.
Unlike numerous CBD products for available for consumption online and in-stores made from hemp-based CBD, Epidiolex is made from cannabis. This indicated a true shift in how the medical world looked at the plant.
"This approval serves as a reminder that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies. And, the FDA is committed to this kind of careful scientific research and drug development," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. said in a press release.
Epidiolex claims that they've assisted over 15,000 people. With the benefits, they also note some adverse effects including "increased liver enzymes, sleepiness, decreased hunger, diarrhea, fever, throwing up, feeling really tired and weak, rash, sleep issues, and infections." It's likewise extremely costly, priced at $32,500 annually when it was released, though a lot of insurance strategies, consisting of Medicaid, are anticipated to help cover costs. In spite of arguments that CBD is not as controlled or efficient as the pharmaceutical option, there are additional, indirect benefits. The study was carried out in cooperation with researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and funded by cannabinoid therapy nonprofit Realm of Caring, which is sponsored by companies that make CBD products. Users in the research study showed "considerably better epilepsy medication tolerability, use of fewer prescription medications in general, and minimized health care usage compared with Controls."
While the authors clearly mention this observational research study wasn't looking at seizure control, this is appealing proof that CBD can benefit epilepsy patients, and others, in myriad of methods. Skeptics and deterrers point to the disparity and opacity of the CBD market for preventing artisanal CBD, however even participants whose items were obscure and with few item details reported higher wellness indicators. Cannabis-based CBD is still a Schedule 1 substance even without the presence of psychoactive properties and a growing list of health advantages, limiting more discoveries that will improve quality of life for thousands across the nation. Studies like these showcase some of the many advantages to federal legalization.