Novel Molecules Discovered in CBD Oils May Reduce Seizures

The use of cannabis plant extracts for the treatment of seizures dates back many millennia. Its effectiveness was imperfect; however, nothing else was available. The components of the cannabis plant that reduce the incidence of seizures are not fully known. The internet, and those hoping to make a profit on this current state of ignorance, claim that one particular molecule, CBD, can effectively reduce seizures frequently. The data to support these claims is limited and often unreliable. Caregiver bias still remains a significant problem in most clinical trials.

In recent trials that report positive outcomes, CBD has been used in addition to standard epilepsy medications. Therefore it remains to be determined whether CBD alone is antiepileptic, a potentiator of traditional antiepileptic medications, or simply a placebo. Another nagging problem has also undermined confidence in the effectiveness of CBD — contamination of samples with other molecules from the cannabis plant.

Commercially available CBD products are prepared by one of three extraction methods — using cold carbon dioxide, oils, or ethanol. These methods indiscriminately extract any molecule that is lipid-soluble; the cannabis plant contains over 160 different lipid-soluble molecules. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that commercial CBD products have measurable levels of THC as well as many other cannabinoids.

A recent pair of studies investigated the anti-epileptic efficacy of three cannabinoids that are also found in commercial extracts from the cannabis plant, including cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannadivarinic acid (CBDVA), and cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA). CBGA is the precursor molecule to the production of both CBD and THC. Cannabinoid acids are fairly plentiful in cannabis but have received much less scientific attention.

The anticonvulsant potential of each of the cannabinoid acids was tested using a mouse model of Dravet syndrome. The authors confirmed that all three cannabinoids were readily and substantially absorbed into the brain. The level in the brain was measured to be up to six times higher than in the blood. This is to be expected when using such lipid-soluble molecules.

The study reported that all three acidic cannabinoids significantly reduced seizure incidence. The authors further reported that CBGA interacts with many epilepsy-relevant drug targets and was more effective than CBD in their seizure model. These positive results need to be taken in context; the drugs were given to mice who had induced seizures. Although this animal model may be valid and predictive, much more research needs to be conducted to confirm the effectiveness of these molecules in human epilepsy patients.

In conclusion, a series of three different cannabinoids extracted from the cannabis plant acting alone or in aggregate, and that are often found in common artisanal cannabis oils, may underlie the claimed anticonvulsant actions commercial CBD preparations.