Cannabis verses pharmaceutical drugs to treat seizure disorders

Cannabis verses pharmaceutical drugs to treat seizure disorders
Melissa M. Phillips
COM/172
April 21, 2014
Scott Tobias
Cannabis verses pharmaceutical drugs to treat seizure disorders.
Chronic illnesses are prevalent this day and age due to various environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and the use of pharmaceutical drugs. There are various pharmaceutical drugs to treat patients who have chronic pain, depression, anxiety, Alzheimer 's, cancer, and various seizure disorders. However, the effects of pharmaceutical drugs on people’s major organs are devastating. Cannabis is a much safer, 100% natural approach to treating chronic illnesses and it is not damaging to peoples organs. In fact, the human body has built in cannabinoid receptors in the brain and the spleen, and our bodies actually create our own cannabinoid proteins, which contains no psychoactive component. Therefore, the human body creates its own cannabis. Personally, being through what I have been through with my chronic illness; Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), and the numerous amounts of pharmaceutical drugs I have been prescribed. I have had severe allergic reactions to various pharmaceutical drugs, a medication induced seizure, and could have possibly overdosed due to the wrong amount of medication being prescribed. Given my current situation and my new perspective on consuming something that has been on this planet for millions of years (holistic ancient medicine), or consuming something fabricated in a laboratory. I prefer to take the all-natural approach, in treating my IIH. Additionally, I am not the only American in my situation and I am not the only American who has had negative experiences with pharmaceutical drugs. There is a very touching documentary on CNN News by Saundra Young, “Marijuana stops child’s severe seizures”.
Charlotte Figi also known as, Charlie was born a healthy twin full term, weighing 7lbs 12oz. Strong and thriving, everything normal with the twins. Suddenly the Figi’s lives changed forever when their three month old daughter had a grand mal seizure. Figi, (2013) “She was laying on her back on the floor,” he said, “and her eyes started flickering.” The seizure lasted for about thirty minutes. During the seizure she was rushed to the hospital and every test possible performed, but all tests came back normal. The doctors treating Charlie were stumped, they told the Figi’s that this would likely subside. However, after repeated seizures, and recurring hospital visits the Figi’s were left terrified and confused as to what they could do to help their daughter. Charlie was having around 300 seizures per month, each one lasting for a few hours at a time. After two years the Figi’s were able to get Charlie an appointment at Children’s Hospital Colorado. The doctors tested Charlie for the SCN1A gene mutation. After two months, the results were in and Charlie had a confirmed diagnosis, Dravet Syndrome.
Dravet Syndrome is a rare, severe form of intractable epilepsy. Doctors prescribed seven different addictive pharmaceutical drugs like, anticonvulsants, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines, which were taking a toll on her small body. The seizures continued to get worse and the Figi’s were desperate to find an answer to the worst nightmare of their lives. Matt had to resign from the military because Charlie’s seizures were so frequent, he wasn’t able to fulfill his duties. Left with no answer or successful solutions the Figi’s were anxious to find answers and something that would actually work well for their daughter and not have her drugged and barely functioning.
The Figi’s started doing research and found a couple in CO that had an epileptic son, with the same story-nothing worked. This boy’s parents found a doctor who recommended medical cannabis, the mother agreed and her son was down to 2-3 seizures per month. This military man and his overly conservative wife couldn’t ever picture putting their daughter on an illegal substance, a drug. They sat on this idea for quite some time and after the third grand mal seizure of the day, each one lasting two to three hours. They both finally agreed that they needed to find two doctors willing to write a recommendation for medical cannabis. The Figi’s started scouring the Denver area for willing doctors. After numerous dead ends, no doctor would write the recommendation. Finally, they found Dr. Margaret Gedde who was willing to write the recommendation. Gedde (2013), “(Charlotte’s) been close to death so many times, she’s had so much brain damage from seizure activity and likely the pharmaceutical medication,” … “When you put the potential risks of the cannabis in context like that, it’s a very easy decision.”
However, their battle was not over yet, in the state of CO there has to be two doctors signatures for a recommendation to be approved, stuck again. The Figi’s started researching more doctors and found Dr. Alan Shackelford, who also agreed. Shackelford (2013), “(But) they had exhausted all of her treatment options,” …“There really weren’t any steps they could take beyond what they had done. Everything has been tried- -except cannabis.” Now, with two doctors on board they finally had the recommendation they needed to move forward in another attempt to save their daughters life.
They scoured the entire state of CO and found a group of brothers, the Stanly brothers who bread cannabis for individuals with chronic illnesses who didn’t have success with pharmaceutical drugs. They found a local dispensary that had a small amount of cannabis called R4, which is known to be low in THC and high in CBD. Paige, Charlie’s mother, paid $800 for two ounces, everything the dispensary had. They had a friend extract the oil from the cannabis and made Charlie edible oils to consume with food. They started her on this new, 100% natural medicine, called pot. Within an hour she hadn’t had a seizure, they though wow this is a miracle. Hours passed and still no seizure. The Figi’s were skeptical at first, but after three months and only eight seizures, they finally found their answer to their worst nightmare, medical cannabis.

Cannabinoid (CBD) receptors are located several places within the human body. The hippocampus houses some of these receptors, as well as the cerebellum, the cerebral cortex, and the spleen. This system within the human body is known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). There are two types of cannabinoid receptors within the human body, they are known as CB1 and CB2. The CB1 receptor is responsible for creating high levels of cannabinoids within the central nervous system (CNS), the establishment between the CNS and the CB1 receptor triggers numerous mechanisms that protect neurons from death (Howlett, 2002). The CB1 also releases pro-inflammatory molecules, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) theses pro-inflammatory molecules enhance the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines (Klein, 2000). The 2nd cannabinoid receptor in the human body is located in the cells and tissue of the immune system. This area is located in the marginal zone of the spleen (Lynn and Herkenham, 1994).
The impact these cannabinoids have on the human body is amazing. The ECS protects our bodies from cell damage and free radicals, which assist our bodies with cell renewal. They serve as a protective barrier to our brain and blood and protect us, from stroke, hemorrhage, and brain aneurysm’s. According to Weissmann, (2013) “Last year, scientists found that our skin makes its own marijuana-like substance. Now we see that our brain has been making proteins that act directly on the marijuana receptors in our head. The next step is for scientists to come up with new medicines that eliminate the nasty side of pot-a better joint, so to speak.”
With our society infested with chronic illnesses, pharmaceutical companies are making a profit and giving incentives to doctors to write more prescriptions. Needless to say, the medications doctors are prescribing patients are having a disturbing affect on our society. Pharmaceutical drug overdose death rates in the US have more than doubled since 1990. “100 people die from drug overdoses every day in the United States” (CDC, 2011). There has never been one recorded death or overdose from consuming any amount of cannabis. These numbers seem very eye opening and one would wonder why just cannabis would not be legal like pharmaceutical drugs, seeing how there has never been one reported death or overdose from cannabis (CDC, 2011).
There is evidence and documented research on cannabis and its effects on the human body, scientists have found that there are numerous beneficial properties in cannabis. There is documented success with patients using cannabis to treat many illnesses, allowing the patient to eliminate the use of pharmaceutical drugs. This is a much smarter approach to treating diseases and preserving one’s body and major organs, holistically. Obviously cannabis was put on this planet for a purpose, medicine. Our bodies have the ECS, as well as the receptors, which allows our bodies to respond in many different ways to the THC, CBD, and CBN. Many people are unaware of the many beneficial properties cannabis contains. Media has drilled into our heads that cannabis is a drug, a controlled substance, and is addictive. As if pharmaceutical drugs are not addictive or do major harm to the human body. In addition, as mentioned above compare the overdose rate of both. This is fueling the need for more research and studies to prove that cannabis is actually a much better option for treating chronic illnesses. Personally, I feel much better and am healthier being off the pharmaceutical drugs, cannabis saved my life. My neuro surgeon was right and cannabis did in fact give me my life back.

References
Gupta, S. (March 28, 2014). Dr. Sanjay Gupta “Doubles Down” on medical marijuana.
Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/search/?query=Medical+Marijuana&x=0&y=0&primaryType=mixed&sortBy=revelance&intl=false

Powers, S. (September 27, 2013). UNITED FOR CARE. Retrieved from http://www.unitedforcare.org/morgan_says_marijuana_is_safer_than Young, S. (August 7, 2013). Marijuana stops child 's severe seizures.
Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2103/08/07/health/charlotte-medical-marijuana

References: Gupta, S. (March 28, 2014). Dr. Sanjay Gupta “Doubles Down” on medical marijuana. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/search/?query=Medical+Marijuana&x=0&y=0&primaryType=mixed&sortBy=revelance&intl=false Powers, S. (September 27, 2013). UNITED FOR CARE. Retrieved from http://www.unitedforcare.org/morgan_says_marijuana_is_safer_than Young, S. (August 7, 2013). Marijuana stops child 's severe seizures. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2103/08/07/health/charlotte-medical-marijuana