Many people have been looking for ways to control their seizures for years. Sometimes, it is even a parent trying to discover treatments that work for their children. It is heartbreaking to see what persons with seizures go through day in and day out. Doctors have poked and prodded them, prescribed medication after medication, and yet, the episodes still occur. So, patients or their families set off in search of alternative medicines that will keep the incidents at bay.
One such option is cannabidiol or CBD for short. However, as of now, there is only a single FDA-approved cannabidiol medication on the market, Epidiolex oral solution. The substance is derived from marijuana, but it does not cause the intoxicated or euphoric high. What does it do? Well, the CBD oil is used as a treatment for people 2-years of age or older with two rare and severe kinds of epilepsy. They are known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.
The seizures affect a person’s quality of life. Research has shown that when Epidiolex and other medications are taken together, the frequency of such seizures was reduced, thus improving the individual’s life altogether. Due to society’s shifting viewpoint on marijuana, more studies can be conducted, which means new breakthroughs can happen at any time. Read further to learn about one particular instance.
Is Synthetic CBD A Thing?
Teams from The University of California, Davis, and The University of Reading in the United Kingdom have been working with H2CBD. Chemists claim they can make the nonintoxicating form of cannabidiol from inexpensive ingredients, and ones which are not marijuana. Of course, more testing must be done as the initial trials were merely completed with rats. However, the results were positive because H2CBD reduced the frequency and severity of seizures, just like CBD oil.
Mark Mascal, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at UC Davis, stated that H2CBD is the safer of the two drugs. Why? Well, for one, because it does not contain any marijuana, there is no potential for abuse. With CBD oil, it is possible for individuals to get their hands on the correct chemicals to convert the substance into intoxicating THC. Meanwhile, the researchers proclaim that there is no way to transform H2CBD.
No Land Required
Lots and lots of fields are needed to cultivate hemp for CBD oil. There social and environmental concerns with this method. Not to mention, the endeavor can become quite expensive. There will have to be attendants and guards on staff to watch over the crops. Plus, with outdoor areas, it can be nearly impossible to detect weather patterns at times. If the plants get too wet or cold, the entire crop could get ruined, resulting in a shortage of medication.
H2CBD Could Be The Next Big Product, Only Time Will Tell
The Food and Drug Administration has already approved some synthetic cannabinoid-based products. Hence, it stands to reason that they will accept others in the near future after more studies have been completed. Marinol is one of the drugs, well, actually, that is the brand name, and it is also known as dronabinol. It is often prescribed for AIDS patients to treat anorexia associated with weight loss. Syndros does the same things as Marinol only it comes in liquid form.
Nabilone, also regularly called Cesamet, is a human-made synthetic antiemetic. In layman’s terms, it is a medicine that prevents nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. The manufacturer claims that the drug replicates the healing properties of THC. However, it does not contain any of the chemicals found in the marijuana plant. The world is on the cusp of something great between synthetic medications and medical marijuana. Hopefully, soon, new drugs will come to light for curing a variety of ailments.
