There has been a lot of talk in the media about the use of cannabis products in the treatment of epilepsy and non-epileptic seizures. This has generated a lot of interest as well as confusion over the different forms of cannabis that are being discussed, their legality and their safety.

Medical cannabis has anticonvulsant properties. The cannabis plant contains 85 different chemical compounds called cannabinoids. The most commonly known is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but most of the anticonvulsant properties come from a cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD).Our cannabidiol products contain virtually no THC (0.3%).

The cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of refractory epilepsy for some patients with Dravet and Lennox Gastaut syndromes, tuberous sclerosis and infantile spasms.

For many who have used CBD oil, the treatment has provided relief when nothing else could. About two thirds of epilepsy patients will be responsive to the first or second medicine given for epilepsy. However, once an epilepsy patient has taken two different medicines without relief, the odds that a third medication will work are less than 1 percent. That leaves other options, such as special diets, surgeries—or CBD oil!

 Depression can be a predisposed condition (something you were born with) or brought on by an unfortunate event or trauma. Regardless of the cause, the symptoms of depression are often the same: feeling sad, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, changes in appetite, trouble sleeping, loss of energy, feeling worthless, and difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions. ​

​ Two of the neurotransmitters affected during depression are serotonin and dopamine. Because levels of serotonin and dopamine are affected by things like diet, exercise, mental state, and stress levels, research supports the idea that some depressed people have reduced serotonin and dopamine transmission. This is where the use of CBD products can come into play.​

​ Unlike THC, the cannabinoid associated with causing marijuana’s “high effect,” CBD has a different, more indirect interaction with these cell receptors. At the same time, CBD has the unique ability to directly interact with other cell receptors, including serotonin and dopamine receptors. Thus, when ingested, CBD influences brain activity and one byproduct is the release of serotonin and dopamine throughout the body. ​

​ Research shows that CBD oil causes receptor 5-HT1A, which releases serotonin, to fire more effectively. This increases serotonin production and stabilizes its presence in the body. ​Low levels of serotonin production can lead to depression. Using CBD oil can result in the production of more serotonin to help ease this disease.​

Many people are now familiar with the videos of children with seizure disorders being calmed and treated completely with cannabis. Similarly, we are beginning to see more and more “anecdotal evidence” that CB2 receptor is found to help the management of autism. In fact, a 2013 study at the Second University in Naples, Italy in association with the Medical School at Stanford University in California found that a malfunctioning or otherwise unhealthy endocannabinoid system may contribute to autism. 

The Autism Research Institute has described that the use of medical marijuana has had improved symptoms such as  “anxiety, aggression, panic disorder, generalized rage, tantrums, property destruction and self-injurious behaviour.” The aforementioned 2013 study in Italy by Dr. Piomelli and Dr. Manzoni has revealed critically important discoveries about the “Bliss Molecule” anandamide and how cannabis compounds like CBD and THC can be used to stimulate imbalances in the body’s endocannabinoid system and directly helping to treat autism patients in the process. They both consider Cannabis as an optimal contributor to scientific approaches to the disorder.

The endocannabinoid system is not only important in regulating healthy behavior, it is now being shown to improve dysfunctional behaviours characterized in autistic patients. Our body’s endocannabinoid system also produces oxytocin which is essential in learning and social behavior. The chaos characterized by the Autism spectrum appears to be calmed significantly by inducing natural cannabinoids to out system. According to Dr.Bernard D. Rimland from the Autism Research Institute, the research and studies all show the need to take advantage of “relatively safe drugs like marijuana.. the reports we are seeing from parents indicate that medical marijuana often works when no other treatments, drugs or non-drugs, have helped.”