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Medical Use of Cannabis Oil

Hannah McIncrow, Bonnie Miller, Emily Murphy, Annie Reynolds, Katie Murphy and Madi Saren

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Haleigh’s Hope Law

  • April 26, 2015: Georgia approved medical use of cannabis oil
    • 20-fluid ounces of THC oil
  • Does not provide legal access to medicine
  • Patients have to smuggle it back from other states

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Who is Haleigh?

  • Born with CP and intractable epilepsy (only 2,500 cases a year)
  • Was having hundreds of seizures a day
    • Tried 14 different medications, specialized diet, blood infusions, hyperbaric chamber
    • Parents performed CPR more times than they can count
  • Parents found out she might not live another three months but that a form of medical marijuana might help
  • Moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Began treatment 4 times a day and once at night
  • Has not had a seizure in 300 days since treatment

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Billy’s Story

  • 11 year old boy who was suffering from up to 100 seizures a day
  • Became first person to receive prescription of medical marijuana in the United Kingdom
  • Has not had seizure in 300 days
  • Also improved his autism, such as his eye contact and engagement with toys and books

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Position A

  • Cannabidiol has been shown to reduce seizure frequency and has a good safety profile in children and young adults with highly treatment-resistant epilepsy
  • Better anticonvulsant profile than traditional medicines without adverse psychoactive effects
  • Shown to decrease seizure activity and may improve sleep and behavior
  • No evidence of a withdrawal after ending cannabidiol treatment
  • https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/health/exclusive-cannabis-nasal-spray-stops-epileptic-seizure-in-its-tracks

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Position A

  • The oil can alter appetite, both increasing and decreasing it
    • Different hormones have to be targeted
    • This can help anorexia as well as obesity
  • It can be used for pain relief
    • Inhibits the neural transmission in body’s pain pathways
    • A study in Canada proved cannabis taken 3 times daily significantly reduced the severity of pain from chronic pain patients
  • Can help with stress and anxiety
    • Minimize stress receptors in hippocampus
    • Can help treat people involved in traumatic experiences
    • Can help some of the effects of PTSD like anxiety and insomnia
  • Can help reduce tremors

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Position B

  • 30% of current users contain a use disorder
    • Increasing addiction
  • No quality control, no standardized composition or dosage instruction
    • Until the substance is standardized, there can be no way of testing whether or not it is inherently healthy and safe for users of all kinds
  • Short term side effects:
    • Degrades brain function
    • Intoxication interferes with learning, memory, driving and cognition functions
  • Long term side effects:
    • Addiction
    • Loss of motivation
    • Reduced IQ
    • Excessive vomiting
    • Anxiety and sleep problems
    • Reduced life span
    • Psychosis

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Position B

Effects of legalization of medical marijuana on

drug and alcohol abuse:

  • Evidence supports higher rates of marijuana use, abuse and dependence in states that have legalized medical marijuana.
    • Increased recreational use may be due to changes in community norms and attitudes related to marijuana use, endorsement of marijuana for medical use, and increased availability of marijuana.
  • Medical marijuana laws are related to heavy use of marijuana, which is linked with negative health and social outcomes.
  • One study found a spillover effect that shows an increased frequency of binge drinking among those above age 21 with the implementation of medical marijuana laws.

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Personal Thoughts from the Group

-What position are you? A or B?

-Why?

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Discussion and Questions

  • If you were a parent of a child with treatment resistant epilepsy, what would you do if you were in a state that outlaws CBD oil?
  • Do you think the benefits of CBD oil outweigh the risks of recreational abuse?
  • If there were more laws and restrictions around medical marijuana, do you think it would help prevent drug abuse or make it harder for patients to seek treatment?
  • Do you think there is enough data/research to know if the use of medical cannabis oil is good/bad for you?
  • Should we legalize the making and selling of cannabis oil in the state of Georgia? why/why not?

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References

Brunbech, L., & Sabers, A. (2002). Effect of Antiepileptic Drugs on Cognitive Function in Individuals with Epilepsy. Drugs,62(4), 593-604. doi:10.2165/00003495-200262040-00004

Cerdá, M., Wall, M., Keyes, K. M., Galea, S., & Hasin, D. (2012). Medical marijuana laws in 50 states: Investigating the relationship between state legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use, abuse and dependence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 120(1-3), 22-27. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.06.011

Chu, Y. L. (2014). The effects of medical marijuana laws on illegal marijuana use.Journal of Health Economics, 38, 43-61. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.07.003

Devinsky, O., Marsh, E., Friedman, D., Thiele, E., Laux, L., Sullivan, J., . . . Cilio, M. R. (2016). Cannabidiol in patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy: An open-label interventional trial. The Lancet Neurology,15(3), 270-278. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(15)00379-8

Harper, S., Strumpf, E. C., & Kaufman, J. S. (2012). Do Medical Marijuana Laws Increase Marijuana Use? Replication Study and Extension. Annals of Epidemiology, 22(3), 207-212. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2011.12.002

Kwok, C. S., Johnson, E. L., & Krauss, G. L. (2017). Comparing Safety and Efficacy of “Third-Generation” Antiepileptic Drugs: Long-Term Extension and Post-marketing Treatment. CNS Drugs,31(11), 959-974. doi:10.1007/s40263-017-0480-6

Madras, B. (2016, April 29). 5 reasons marijuana is not medicine. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/04/29/5-reasons-marijuana-is-not-medicine/?utm_term=.892efdc3136d

Perucca, E. (2017). Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Epilepsy: Hard Evidence at Last? Journal of Epilepsy Research,7(2), 61-76. doi:10.14581/jer.17012

Porcari, G. S., Fu, C., Doll, E. D., Carter, E. G., & Carson, R. P. (2018). Efficacy of artisanal preparations of cannabidiol for the treatment of epilepsy: Practical experiences in a tertiary medical center. Epilepsy & Behavior,80, 240-246. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.01.026

Rosenberg, E. C., Patra, P. H., & Whalley, B. J. (2017). Therapeutic effects of cannabinoids in animal models of seizures, epilepsy, epileptogenesis, and epilepsy-related neuroprotection. Epilepsy & Behavior,70, 319-327. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.11.006

Wang, G. S., Heard, K., & Roosevelt, G. (2017). The Unintended Consequences of Marijuana Legalization. The Unintended Consequences of Marijuana Legalization,190, 12-13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.08.023

Welty, T. E., Luebke, A., & Gidal, B. E. (2014). Cannabidiol: Promise and Pitfalls. Epilepsy Currents,14(5), 250-252. doi:10.5698/1535-7597-14.5.250