Marijuana Strain Treats Child Seizures

Colorado has attracted parents of sick children by the carload ever since the discovery of a marijuana strain that supposedly stops on-setting seizures.

The marijuana strain "Charlotte's web" was named after 5-year-old Charlotte Figi, who was "miraculously cured" by the drug. According to a report by CBS with contributions from the Associated Press, Figi has a disorder called Dravet's Syndrome. The rare disorder would cause Figi to have up to 300 seizures a week, and severely hampered her ability to speak and interact with others.

Today Figi is mostly seizure-free. Her parents administer Figi's treatment through oil supplements made from the unusual strain of marijuana.

Since Charlotte's story went public, parents of children with debilitating seizure disorders have been rushing to Colorado to get their hands on the supposedly curing strain of marijuana.

Why Colorado? It's the only place in the U.S. where parents can legally obtain the drug. The sale of recreational marijuana was made legal in Colorado late last year, with the first legal sales of marijuana made on the very start of the New Year. Since the Food and Drug Administration have not tested Charlotte's Web, there is no clinical evidence that supports its medicinal use; it still has to be sold as "recreational." Interestingly, Charlotte's Web is bred to not have THC, which is the ingredient that makes "pot" users high.

Still, it is no surprise that medical professionals are uncomfortable with this unusual treatment for extremely serious cases of debilitating seizure disorders. Because the drug is untested and unregulated, there is no telling what kind of effect it can have on varying disorders. Just because the drug seems to have a positive effect on one kind of seizure disorder does not mean it will have a similar effect on another.

Worse still, introducing a child's body to new chemicals -- even natural ones -- that can significantly influence the body, may have unforeseen consequences. Recent research has exposed 11 everyday chemicals that can negatively affect a child's developing brain, with the potential for long-term influences.

Still, the very existence of Charlotte's Web is a sign that there may be hope for children with debilitating seizures. For desperate parents, even the glimpse of a miraculous story may be enough to keep looking for a cure.