Charlotte Figi was a thirteen-year-old girl who faced countless problems in her childhood, including fatal ones. She was suffering from Dravet syndrome, which is a severe form of epilepsy. Dravet syndrome causes frequent seizures, which can be triggered by health conditions like developmental delay, sleep disturbances, high body temperatures, etc.
The seizures in Dravet syndrome are often long, lasting anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes. And the same was the case with Charlotte; she also had to go through the immense pain of grand mal seizures daily. But her bravery is what makes her memorable, even though she is no longer between us.
Dravet Syndrome
This syndrome appears during the first year of life and is caused by a mutation in the SCN1A gene. This gene is essential for the proper functioning of the brain, which is why mutations in it cause severe seizures. This condition is also known as “channelopathy,” since the mutation mainly occurs in the sodium channel.
This syndrome is fatal, as it has elevated mortality rates. The mortality rate ranges from 15% to 20% by adulthood. Two common causes of death are sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and status epilepticus.
Charlotte, Dravet syndrome, and Charlotte’s web
At the time Charlotte was suffering, cannabis was legal in only two states, and administering cannabis to children was looked down upon. But even after all those struggles and personal research, Charlotte’s mother was able to start adjunctive therapy with a potent CBD strain that was later named Charlotte’s Web.
Effects of Charlotte’s Web on Dravet Syndrome
According to the case study, the effects of Charlotte’s web were very prominent, so much so that Charlotte started getting better at a rapid pace. Before taking CBD, Charlotte’s seizure frequency was nearly 50 convulsions per day. But after taking Charlotte’s Web, the seizure frequency dropped from 50 per day to 2-3 convulsions per month.
CBD was just that effective against Dravet syndrome; moreover, Charlotte was also able to wean herself from other antiepileptic drugs. According to the studies, the treatment of seizures with CBD resulted in a significant decrease in convulsive seizures of all types, including Dravet syndrome.
Benefits of CBD
Such a success story about Charlotte caused a major ripple in the cannabis research industry. Every researcher working in the field started to discover the medical benefits of CBD, which is a non-psychoactive component of marijuana and is also known for its anti-convulsant properties. But since research is far from complete, we only know the potential of CBD and how it can benefit humans. Some of the benefits that we can look forward to are:
- Anti-anxiety activity
- Anti-convulsant activity
- Pain relief
- Anti-inflammation properties
- Relief from nausea and vomiting
- Neuroprotective properties
And further studies are still underway to discover more potential in CBD shortly. If we lucked out, we might be able to achieve new heights in the field of medicine. But for now, we have to work carefully with what we have and how we can use cannabis legally. One way to get access to CBD is by getting a medical card online.
Or if you want to grow your marijuana plant, you can use the 99-Plant Growers License in California. This license gives you the authority to grow marijuana for medical purposes. With this license, you can grow marijuana in your backyard.
