[News] F.D.A. Panel Recommends Approval of Cannabis-Based Drug for Epilepsy

[Nakamova]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/health/epidiolex-fda-cannabis-marajuana.html

Here's an excerpt from the article:

WASHINGTON — A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday unanimously recommended approval of an epilepsy medication made with an ingredient found in marijuana. If the agency follows the recommendation, as is expected, the drug would be the first cannabis-derived prescription medicine available in the United States.

The drug, called Epidiolex, is made by GW Pharmaceuticals, a British company. Its active ingredient, cannabidiol, also called CBD, is one of the chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant, but it does not contain the properties that make people high.

The panel recommended approval of the drug to treat two rare forms of epilepsy — Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Because the conditions are so rare, GW Pharmaceuticals has received an orphan drug designation for Epidiolex.

 

[Pinkhorse]

YES. I didn't realize that it was CBD that was being used for those syndromes. I use CBD every day. One of the nice things is that you don't have to have a medical marijuana card to get it legally. I love the one I use - it's a capsule. I know that there are on line stores. https://bluebirdbotanicals.com/ is one that a friend told me about. I go to a store in Brattleboro VT to get mine. I really feel it if I don't take it - anxious mostly. Lately I've been thinking I should take more (but at $1 a pill - I guess it's really just not that expensive for what it is.)
The other thing to consider is THCA, which is the pre-cursor to THC (the part that gets you high) and is not psychoactive. I use a tincture when I feel it coming on. I'd like to have an edible to be more long-acting but I can't find any. We grew some cannabis last summer and I'd like to grow some more. THCA converts as it gets older. I may still make an edible out of the leaves of ours just a mix with coconut oil (which is what my CBD pills are.) Smoking or vaping at high temperatures will decarboxylate it and make it THC so that's out of the question for day-to-day getting along.

There's so much to learn about cannabis. It was funny that I tried to get a medical card through my PCP and their practice doesn't give them for epilepsy! Which is pretty odd since it's the one thing that has a proven and studied with trials to be effective. I figure they'll probably change their practice by next year when I need a referral for renewal (the doc that gave it to me closed her practice.)