The NHS has approved two cannabis-based medications for the first time. Epidyolex is used to treat two rare forms of epilepsy; Lennox-Gastaut (LGS) and Dravet syndromes. LGS is a rare and complex form of epilepsy that is severe and onset in early childhood. Dravet syndrome is a lifelong form of epilepsy that begins within the first year of a child’s life. Both forms are very serious and can have frequent seizures.
The NHS is following suit with the US who approved CBD (Cannabidiol) to treat these diseases in 2018. So far, the results have been promising. The US patients using CBD as an add-on had up to a 50% reduction in seizures vs. 15% that used a placebo. The long term results have been promising as well. More than 80% of caregivers reported significant improvements in their overall lives as well. Suggesting that it not only positively affects the patients but the doctors as well.
The other medication approved is an oral spray called Sativex and is a combination of CBD and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). Sativex is used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) for muscle spasms and also helps with pain. It has also been noted to help improve people’s sleep quality and aid patients with rheumatoid arthritis. However, doctors will not be able to prescribe it to treat pain.
It is interesting that for now, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has ruled out prescribing THC to treat chronic pain. Many people are upset by this decision to not make THC assessable to those that suffer from pain. One such person is Millie Hinton from the End Our Pain campaign, who calls this “a massive missed opportunity.” She goes on to say:
It is particularly devastating that there is no positive recommendation that the NHS should allow prescribing of whole plant medical cannabis containing both CBD (cannabidiol) and THC in appropriate cases of intractable childhood epilepsy. It is this kind of whole plant extract that has been shown to be life-transforming for a significant number of children, including those involved in the high-profile cases of last year which led to medical cannabis being legalized. This restrictive guidance is condemning many patients to having to pay for life-transforming medicine privately, to go without or to consider accessing illegal and unregulated sources.
Others also agree with what she has to say. Genevieve Edwards is from the MS Society and has been lobbying for Sativex for years. While she’s happy that NICE finally listened, she is disappointed that it was not approved for pain management.
If the regulators at NICE truly believe that cannabis doesn’t have the results to help pain, then perhaps they should look at the results from other countries. In an article published in Healthline, it was found that more than 62% of the people prescribed cannabis in the United States, is for pain management.
This is a good first step to help children and adults that suffer from seizures. Next, it’s time to wake up to the fact that people who suffer from chronic pain should be offered a safer alternative to pharmaceuticals and allow THC and CBD to be offered for pain management.
