SALT LAKE CITY Charlees Law takes effect today. It allows parents of epileptic children in Utah to possess cannabis oil without fear of prosecution. Meanwhile, Primary Childrens Hospital is one step closer to testing it on children with severe epilepsy but needs government approval. Primary hopes the study could lend scientific credibility to what some have called a miraculous extract. Were excited about every treatment, every possibility, said Jennifer May, Co-founder of Hope 4 Children with Epilepsy. A British pharmaceutical company has now agreed to let PCH test Epidiolex children ages 2-17 with severe epilepsy. The drug contains pure cannabidiol oil. Colorado parents say the extract has significantly reduced seizures for some epileptic children. However, since the government puts cannabis in the same category as heroin and LSD, the Drug Enforcement Agency must sign off on the trial. That hasnt happened so its unclear when the study begins. Heres the other hurdle for families interested. The Epidiolex IND [Investigational New Drug] is only going to allow for 25 of the most severe patients and there are many more than that, May said. See the rest here: Cannabis oil available as treatment for children with epilepsy starting today … Continue reading →

Cannabis used for kids epilepsy Promising results from a small study of children who were given an experimental cannabis drug for their hard-to-treat epilepsy has sent shares in its British maker, GW Pharmaceuticals, soaring. The company, which grows cannabis under license at a secret location in Britain, is developing a range of so-called cannabinoid medicines. It already sells Sativex across Europe for spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis. The latest findings for Epidiolex, its new product, come from an assessment of 27 children and young adults with treatment-resistant epilepsy who were given the drug at two U.S. hospitals. The medicine contains cannabinoid elements but none of the psychoactive ingredients that make marijuana smokers high. The pharmaceuticals company said that the results after 12 weeks of therapy in the open-label study showed a reduction in seizure frequency of more than 50 percent. It will begin phases 2 and 3 clinical trials over the second half of the year. Justin Gover, GWs chief executive, said he expected Epidiolex would be ready for submission to U.S. and European regulators in 2016. John Petrick More: Cannabis reduced seizures in epileptics, study finds … Continue reading →