Cannabis as an anticonvulsant

There are records of the cannabis plant being used for medicinal purposes in ancient times, and in the 19^th century it was used as an effective anti-epileptic drug (AED) in children. However, because of its abuse potential, most countries imposed laws restricting its cultivation and use, and this has greatly inhibited research into possible therapeutic uses. Things are now changing, and cannabis derivatives are now used legally to treat, for example, pain, nausea and spasticity.

The plant contains over 100 biologically active compounds, and recently it has been possible to isolate these and identify the neurochemical mechanisms by which some of them operate: one in particular, cannabidiol (CBD), has almost none of the well-known psychoactive properties, but can act as an anticonvulsant, probably through actions on neuronal transmembrane receptors and ion channels.

‘Recreational’ cannabis, although mostly illegal, is widely available, and patients with epilepsy and their carers have for...

from Archives of Disease in Childhood current issue http://ift.tt/2FXrNLe