CBD Oil Bill Introduced in Kentucky & How to Support It

This week in Kentucky a CBD Oil bill was introduced by Senator Julie Denton (R-Louisville). If passed, doctors affiliated with Kentucky universities that have medical school will be able to prescribe CBD and it may also be used in clinical trials.






This does not limit by age or condition, which is good since science suggests cannabidiol may help a wide array of conditions, not just epilepsy. Anything from cancer, strokes, Crohn's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, and Diabetes to name a few. I will link some of that research at the bottom of this page and the sheer volume will overwhelm you. Read it then answer this question: don't you want the laws already in place in case God forbid yourself or a loved one develops one of these all too common illnesses?




Sick people need relief, especially given many are exhausting pharmaceutical options. Since beginning this campaign in November my son has failed another pharmaceutical anticonvulsant. This time an adverse reaction to the medication itself gave him the impulse control of a toddler. He was running in front of cars, trying to pull boiling pots of water onto himself, sticking his hand in the garbage disposal, and otherwise harming himself and others. This drug carries the risk of suicidal impulses. Is doing dangerous stuff how suicidal impulses manifest in the minimally verbal? How am I supposed to even know? Thankfully, he has calmed down since we titrated down that drug, but there is still the matter of complete epilepsy control, which we've never attained with anything except steroids. CBD oil can't come to Kentucky fast enough!




Special thanks to Senator Denton and the other co-sponsors of SB 124.




Please read the bill and support SB 124. Call your Senator at 1-800-372-7181 and ask him or her to support SB 124. If you don't know who your senator is give the operator your zip code and she will deliver the message. Thank you.




Suzanne M. De Gregorio
Louisville, Kentucky
February 9th, 2014




Research into Cannabidiol for various conditions. This list is by no means complete. I just had to stop somewhere.


Breast Cancer:


Pathways mediating the effects of cannabidiol on the reduction of breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis
Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012 May;133(1):401-4.




Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells.Mol Cancer Ther. 2007 Nov;6(11):2921-7.




PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e23901. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023901. Epub 2011 Sep 7.
Crosstalk between chemokine receptor CXCR4 and cannabinoid receptor CB2 in modulating breast cancer growth and invasion.




Anti-tumor activity of plant cannabinoids with emphasis on the effect of cannabidiol on human breast carcinomaAmerican Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics


Cannabinoids reduce ErbB2-driven breast cancer progression through Akt inhibitionMolecular Cancer 2010, 9:196




Cannabinoids: a new hope for breast cancer therapy?
Cancer Treat Rev. 2012 Nov;38(7):911-8.




The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide inhibits human breastcancer cell proliferationProc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAVol. 95, pp. 8375–8380, July 1998


Cannabis Compound May Stop Metastatic Breast Cancer - ABC News




*There is research for cannabidiol and other types of cancer, but in the interest of space I'm focusing on the most common one. For a more complete list click here.




Stroke




Pharmaceuticals 2010, 3(7), 2197-2212; doi:10.3390/ph3072197
Therapeutic Potential of Non-Psychotropic Cannabidiol in Ischemic Stroke




Cannabidiol Prevents Cerebral Infarction Via a Serotonergic 5-Hydroxytryptamine1A Receptor–Dependent Mechanism
Journal - Stroke




Diabetes

Autoimmunity. 2006 Mar;39(2):143-51.


Cannabidiol lowers incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice.


Curr Pharmacogenomics Person Med. 2009 September; 7(3): 215–222.


Cannabidiol As a Putative Novel Therapy for Diabetic Retinopathy: A Postulated Mechanism of Action as an Entry Point for Biomarker-Guided Clinical Development



Cannabidiol Arrests Onset of Autoimmune Diabetes in NOD MiceNeuropharmacology. 2008 January; 54(1): 244–249.




Rev. Bras. Psiquiatr. vol.30 no.3 São Paulo Sept. 2008


Cannabidiol: from an inactive cannabinoid to a drug with wide spectrum of action

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2007 July; 293(1): H610–H619.


Cannabidiol attenuates high glucose-induced endothelial cell inflammatory response and barrier disruption


Eur J Pharmacol. 2013 Nov 15;720(1-3):376-82. 2013 Oct 8.


Cannabinoids alter endothelial function in the Zucker rat model of type 2 diabetes.

Free Radic Biol Med. 2011 Sep 1;51(5):1054-61. 2011 Jan 14.


Cannabidiol as an emergent therapeutic strategy for lessening the impact of inflammation on oxidative stress.






Crohns's Disease and Colitis



Cannabidiol Reduces Intestinal Inflammation through the Control of Neuroimmune Axis   Mariateresa Cipriano,   Published: December 06, 2011•DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028159



Cannabidiol in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: ABrief OverviewPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCHPhytother. Res. (2012)



Z Gastroenterol 2011; 49 - A12
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1278443


Effect of different dose cannabidiol treatment on experimental induced colitis

Cytokine. 2014 Feb;65(2):236-44. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2013.10.006. Epub 2013 Nov 13.


Interleukin 17A evoked mucosal damage is attenuated by cannabidiol and anandamide in a human colonic explant model.


Pharmacology. 2012;89(3-4):149-55. doi: 10.1159/000336871. Epub 2012 Mar 12.


Topical and systemic cannabidiol improves trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid colitis in mice.


J Mol Med (Berl). 2009 Nov;87(11):1111-21. doi: 10.1007/s00109-009-0512-x. Epub 2009 Aug 20.


Cannabidiol, a safe and non-psychotropic ingredient of the marijuana plant Cannabis sativa, is protective in a murine model of colitis.




Autism & Epilepsy




There are dozens of animal model studies and a case series report on epilepsy and a few on autism. Rather than re-list them all now click here for the full list.




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**Please note: other sativa and indica strains can work in synergy with high CBD strains to produce even better medicinal impact for conditions like cancer and PTSD (which plagues our veterans at record numbers now). SB 124 legalizes the high CBD (cannabidiol) strain. Therefore, please also take a look at SB 43, which would legalize all of them for medicinal purposes only and consider supporting it as well. Thank you.

Charlie Update: Kentucky's Own CBD Oil Refugee Thrives on Charlotte's Web

I first introduced readers to Charlie one month ago when the Byrd family arrived in Colorado.  Though they were excited to start Charlie's journey with Charlotte's Web CBD oil, the family already longed to return home. Here Charlie's mother, Crystal, tells us what life in Colorado has been like so far and she shares Charlie's progress on the oil. Crystal is also co-administrator of the CBD Oil for Autism and Epilepsy - Kentucky Facebook page.


Suzanne:

How long has your family been in Colorado so far?

Crystal:

We've been here almost 6 weeks. Charlie's been taking the oil for over 4 of those weeks.

Suzanne:

How was Charlie's initial adjustment to Charlotte's Web?

Crystal:

Charlie has done well so far. His initial doses were smaller to allow us to titrate up slowly as needed. The oil is administered under his tongue three times daily. He doesn't even mind taking it. There have absolutely been NO side effects observed and we've actually been able to lower some of the other four anti-epileptic drugs he was on!

Suzanne:

That is remarkable and certainly unheard of compared to some of the other medications our children take. Have his seizures reduced compared to before Charlotte's Web?

Crystal:

We have had several rounds of seizure free spells and are hoping to see more of that as we go up on Charlotte's Web. Seizure control can take months due to the delicate balance of his existing drugs interacting with the CBD oil. Charlie has slow waves between 3/4 that should be between 5/6 prior to CBD. 


Suzanne:

Have you noticed any developmental progress beyond seizure reduction?

Crystal:

Changes in communication, alertness, eye contact, physically, fine motor and just all around improvement. He's beginning to problem solve and effectively use words in sentence form which he could never do prior to CBD. Charlie has always been extremely intelligent: able to memorize entire movies, knew his alphabet by 2 years of age, counting, shapes and hundreds of animals - but he couldn't apply any of it. It was in there but the sub clinical activity (slow brain waves on EEG) prohibited him from being able to use his understanding in conversation. Now he can at least pull thoughts out quickly enough to communicate that he relates to conversations and  then respond.

Charlie is also jumping and climbing a lot easier due to what seems is an increase in interest to use his body parts to propel himself. It's amazing as a parent to see things that no one else would notice aside from his physical, speech, or occupational therapists. Charlie has really responded well to this treatment and we hope that more good is to come.

CBDs are anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective.  It would be nice if all epileptic or autistic children could try CBD. If not for seizure control then at least for the neuro-protective and anti-inflammatory properties.

Suzanne:

It has been wonderful following Charlie's progress over the last month and getting to enjoy your reactions to it. Your sense of awe really comes through.

Research shows that many with autism have brain inflammation and oxidative stress. Perhaps the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties of CBDs are playing a part in why autistic children who take the oil are responding so well?

What has moving across the country from Kentucky to Colorado been like for your family? Will you stay there now that you know the oil is working or will you have to come home?

Crystal:

Unfortunately, even though the oil is working we only have the financial resources to maintain one home.  In Kentucky both of us were able to work with help from my in-laws and my parents to drop off and pick up Charlie from school. In Colorado only one of us can work so the other can be there for Charlie. The cost of living and home buying in Colorado is significantly higher than Kentucky. Buying a second home isn't an option so we are forced to rent at over 1,000 a month! This has been the hardest month of our family life. Charlie is stuck in a small apartment with no family, no friends, without his wonderful school support and our church. It goes on forever. This is a time to celebrate Charlie's new accomplishments and we can't even share them with those who know and love him except through Face Time or Facebook.

And I think it's crazy I can order high CBD oils from other countries and it's legal! But I can't get it right here in my own country where I know the oil is organic, tested, and safe? Where's the logic? This has to change for all our children. Kentucky deserves more and the only reason that this isn't legal is unfounded and just plain ignorant. Times are changing and we don't need to be the last state to adopt something that makes plain sense.

Suzanne:

How does physician involvement work? Does a general practitioner prescribe and then a neurologist tracks progress? How do they know when it is time to increase the dose? And how do doctors know it is time to reduce other anticonvulsants?

Crystal:

In Colorado a pediatric patient must be seen by two recommending physicians to get a medical marijuana card. Once you have the approval of two physicians you submit an application to the state along with a $35.00 registration fee. The next step begins with finding a dispensary that has high CBD product for purchase. We are on the Charlotte's Web Realm Oil. It has the highest CBD I've seen. The oil is made by the Realm of Caring Foundation and each batch is tested by Cannalabs for CBD/THC levels before distributed. The cost for the oil is 5 cents per mg of CBD. Currently we are up to 70 mg a day CBD, so roughly $3.50 a day.   There are several neurologists here that follow MMJ patients with dosing, lowering other medications, scheduling blood work, and arranging EEGs. It's quite amazing the support you'll find here. This could easily be replicated in any other state if the correct barriers are removed that are preventing research of this plant.

Currently, there is an orphan drug of pure CBD that has gained FDA approval for trails in the United States. It is called Epidiolex(c) produced by GW pharmaceuticals but the trials are small and what I can find are already full.

Suzanne:

That sounds like a similar process to how we already titrate our kids up and down on anticonvulsant medications.

I am not opposed to pharmaceutical companies making cannabis extract medications, especially since that could eventually make them more accessible and reduce costs. However, I know how these things typically go. They don't do whole plant medicine. They isolate compounds from the plants in labs and turn them into synthetic drugs.  But, whole plant medicine works by entourage effect, where various compounds operate in synergy to produce the desired medicinal effects. Isolate the compounds and it doesn't work as well, with side effects to boot.

There are already cannabis based pharmaceuticals on the market like Marinol. My father took it for cancer related appetite loss. I don't hear anyone claiming Marinol as a magic bullet for pediatric epilepsy like Charlotte's Web Cannabis Oil. Maybe this Epidiolex will be different. I hope so.

We will update you again on Charlie's progress once he hits full dose.

Help Us Access CBD oil in Kentucky

1. Kentucky residents: call the legislative hot line at 1-800-372-7181, give your zip code, then tell the operator to ask your senator and representative to support legislation to legalize CBD for autism, epilepsy, and other conditions it is known to help. 

2. Sign our petition here.

3. Send your email address to Suzanne at cbdoilky@gmail.com. Action alerts will occasionally be sent.