THCa/THC Stops Kids Seizures According To Australian Research

A website that got very little attention during the global rush to get CBD on the market, Science Daily, reported results from a 2 year Australian study that didn't come to much of a shock to us or anyone else that's treated severe epilepsy with cannabis extracts. The study "Content of illicit cannabis extracts used to treat children" was published by the University of Sydney. Their findings concluded THCa and THC were in just about every 'black market' oil that parents were giving their children labeled as 'CBD'. The University of Sydney's Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, who examined the tinctures obtained from the non regulated market found that seventy-five percent of the parents who used what they thought were CBD only extracts found them to be “effective” in treating their children’s epilepsy. This is important as it shows that people in an area where access is restricted found efficacy, and not by CBD alone, for their kids who were seizing. Cannabidiol has been proven to have immense value as an anti-epileptic medication, but the single cannabinoid, on it's own without other plant constituents, has proven to have limited efficacy in the numerous accounts of those who've used it.

Science Daily reported that: “The study found that the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC), and the closely related compound THCA, were present in most extracts, although the quantity was generally not enough to produce intoxicating effects. Just over half the extracts were associated with a seizure reduction of 75-100 percent, which reinforces observations from animal studies and case reports of anticonvulsant effects of THC and THCA. As well, 65 percent were associated with other beneficial effects like improved cognition (35 percent) and language skills (24 percent).”

The evidence that CBD is effective for pediatric epilepsy has gained substantial traction over the past years, but it's been overwhelmingly apparent in anecdotal cases that adults who are much better at verbalizing how they feel and what's working best for them primarily turn to THC when CBD on it's own fails – and from patient reports this isn't an uncommon failure when only one cannabinoid is used instead of a whole plant extract. With almost every state allowing CBD, and the approval of the drug Epidiolex the first cannabis-derived drug to gain federal approval it's beyond a challenge to find a politician or person of power that favors children or adults seizing – and this is allowing the plant based cannabis medicine to garnish attention of those that would otherwise 'just say no' to anything cannabis related. With research like the University of Sydney's showing that THCa and THC are what parents are using outside of the pharmaceutical trials going on in that country – and with great efficacy – it's time for eyes to open about the fact that THC is not a demonic plant constituent. It's a necessary one that does not make children stoned, rather it medicates them and protects their future as seizures can, and often are, deadly. There's a stigma about THC that needs to be broken, with numerous medications that are beyond intoxicating given to kids with seizures, it's time that the reefer madness thoughts of the past are put to rest forever. For 10,000 years there's recorded use of cannabis by humans – and up until 80 years ago pharmaceutical companies that exist today sold cannabis tinctures and 'cures' by the droves. The same entities that have created a nightmare of prohibition after selling cannabis themselves are now knocking on our door to once again be the leading purveyors of plant medicine – the only problem is they have a difficult time telling the truth. Anyone in the know on how to treat a child with severe epilepsy is aware that THC/THCa are a necessity – including those pharma companies touting CBD as the answer to Epilepsy. Being the Daddy to a teen with severe intractable epilepsy and having severe refractory myself – there's no guesswork here – nor was there the need to read this study to know the value of plant constituents. CBD is awesome – but it's not the only answer and alone it's missing something very valuable in stopping seizures – the balance of the plant.

Here's Science Daily's recap of the study:

"Content of illicit cannabis extracts used to treat children with epilepsy revealed

Families who turned to black market did not get CBD-rich products; majority reduced seizures" Date:July 5, 2018Source:University of SydneySummary:A pioneering study has found carers who turned to medicinal cannabis to treat children with epilepsy overwhelmingly (75 percent) considered the extracts as 'effective'.

A pioneering study has found Australian parents who turned to medicinal cannabis to treat children with epilepsy overwhelmingly (75 percent) considered the extracts as "effective." Contrary to parental expectations, extracts generally contained low doses of cannabidiol (CBD) — commonly considered to be a key therapeutic element and that has been successfully used in recent clinical trials to treat epilepsy.

The research, which commenced two years ago by the University of Sydney's Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, not only sheds light on the composition of cannabis used in the community but also reveals the legal, bureaucratic, and cost issues faced by families who relied on the products, as well as demonstrating the barriers to accessing medicinal cannabis.

The study found that the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC), and the closely related compound THCA, were present in most extracts, although the quantity was generally not enough to produce intoxicating effects. Just over half the extracts were associated with a seizure reduction of 75-100 percent, which reinforces observations from animal studies and case reports of anticonvulsant effects of THC and THCA. As well, 65 percent were associated with other beneficial effects like improved cognition (35 percent) and language skills (24 percent).

The findings are published today by Springer Nature in its leading journal, Scientific Reports.

Lead author and PhD candidate with the Lambert Initiative at the Brain and Mind Centre, Ms Anastasia Suraev, said just under half the families who used medicinal cannabis reduced their antiepileptic medication.

"Our findings highlight the huge unmet clinical need in the management of treatment-resistant epilepsy in childhood," said Miss Suraev, from the School of Psychology.

Corresponding author and academic director of the Lambert Initiative, Professor Iain McGregor, said: "Although the illicit extracts we analysed contained low doses of CBD, three in four were reported as 'effective', indicating the importance of researching the cannabis plant in its entirety for the treatment of epilepsy.

"And despite the overwhelming presence of generally low levels of THC, concentrations did not differ between samples perceived as 'effective' and 'ineffective'.

"Our research indicates there is a potential role for other cannabinoids, alone or in combination with conventional drugs, in treatment-resistant epilepsy — and this warrants further investigation so we can hopefully develop safer and more effective medicines."

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Sydney. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

1. A. Suraev, N. Lintzeris, J. Stuart, R. C. Kevin, R. Blackburn, E. Richards, J. C. Arnold, C. Ireland, L. Todd, D. J. Allsop, I. S. McGregor. Composition and Use of Cannabis Extracts for Childhood Epilepsy in the Australian Community. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28127-0

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Thank you for reading,

Mike Robinson, Founder, GCRC