Use of Cannabinoids Without Psychotropic Effect on Treatment of Neurological Disorders

Cannabinoids constitute a group of molecules present as secondary metabolites in marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.). The application of cannabinoids is broadly defined for the treatment of various disorders such as pain, inflammation, and neurological disorders such as convulsions, spasticity, epilepsy, sleep disorders, and other abnormalities associated with neurological overstimulation. However, the safety and efficacy of the molecules obtained from cannabis limit its use in specific populations. Amongst the different cannabinoids, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is therapeutically active with significant psychotropic activities. Unlike Δ9-THC, cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits pharmacological activity without having a psychotropic effect, thus being suitable for therapeutic use. In the present study, we extracted CBD with the most economical process of extraction and explored its efficacy and safety in children having convulsive disorder who are resistant to currently available treatment. We observed that the therapeutic dose of CBD has been reduced from 50 to 3 drops per day and the reduction in number of convulsions by 81.3%. Hence, using low-cost procedures to extract cannabinoids and very small doses with highly compliant sublingual routes of administration having better efficacy and safety, could be a future treatment option to manage convulsive disorders.