A twelvemonth after the first hefty see to it trial on the effectiveness of cannabinoids in managing epileptic seizureswas publish , a 36 - report review has reassert grounds for effectiveness , but so far only for young patient role .
Growing credence that cannabis has medical benefits is contributing to a far-flung rollback of laws against the drug . However , the legacy of the drug ’s prospicient prohibition is a lack of hard evidence for the effectivity of cannabis , and the compound that make it up , because it is so laborious to win approval to study a drug you could go to jail for consuming .
Anecdotal chronicle of marijuana consumption cut epileptic fits are widespread , contributing to decisions to loosen restrictions on the drugin Australia , among other places . In the seeking to lend some stiffness to the public debate , Dr Emily Stockingsof the University of New South Wales deal a taxonomical review , issue in theJournal of Neurology , Neurosurgery and Psychiatry , of everything medical journals have published on the topic . She found consistent evidence that compounds from cannabis often cut the average frequency of epileptic seizures for tike and teenagers where conventional anti - convulsive drugs have failed . Almost half those involved in the survey experienced at least a 50 percent decrease in gaining control .
Thirty - six studies vocalize like a lot , but of these only six were random controlled test , where hemp or its constituent were liken with a placebo . The balance were purely experimental , sometimes of a single case , and therefore of much small economic value .
“ We even include the bad studies , but we weighted them by quality , " Stockings tell IFLScience . " We used everything that looked at marihuana and epilepsy , unless it was an public opinion slice without actual data point . ”
Randomized controlled trials on the theme escort back to 1980 , but until last year the largest had just 15 player . Even the three recently - publish trials had modest numbers , but earn credibility from the consistency of their results .
Stockings tell IFLScience few of the studies looked at the event on adults , and those that did were of insufficient lineament to draw off conclusions . She assign the predominance of puerility studies to the fact the mortality rate in the most stern cases is so mellow that many in great need do n’t survive to maturity . There is also inviolable atmospheric pressure for enquiry from parents .
We should soon have much better data , as 10 more studies are currently afoot . This is encouraging because the paper notice we bed very slight about the ideal dosage for the drug . Moreover , there is some evidence it work best in concurrence with the common epilepsy treatment clobazam , but this necessitate further inquiry , as does a comparison of whether cannabis extracts surpass other treatment even for those that react to conventional drugs .
