CAN CANNABIS CURE EPILEPSY?

CAN CANNABIS CURE EPILEPSY?

My heart is very close to epilepsy not because I suffer from this condition although ii do have one niece who suffers terribly.  Since ii started nursing at Groote Schuur Hospital in 1987 ii became increasingly familiar with this condition both with adult and paediatric patients. When ii started to work in hospitals ii noticed that even in public it seemed to me that people with epilepsy used to take their seizures in my presence. Anywhere, in the park, at sports fields, in restaurants, at work and so on.  As a result ii spent a lot of time with epileptic people from various walks of life and it became clear to me from a young age that epilepsy is in fact very common and on the increase in society.  These experiences are what prompted me to further study the intricacies of the Endocannabinoid System and in particular with regards to the treatment and control of epilepsy.

I have seen many different medical definitions to describe the condition of epilepsy which is also known as Seizure Disorder. When ii was a student nurse ii used to bother the neurosurgeons persistently running around with a piece of paper with a hand drawn picture of the human brain.  I desperately wanted to know where the Cannabis receptors were and they used to look at me funny like ii was crazy as they did not know what ii was talking about. It was only through my Rastafari teachings that ii knew about the healing powers of Cannabis and that we are supposed to consume Cannabis to maintain health.  I was also trying to find the simplest way of understanding how epilepsy happens and my favorite responses were “Well it’s quite simple there is too much electricity on the brain”.  Over the years ii have learnt that there is nothing simple about epilepsy and much more quality research is required.

So ii can try to simplify, epilepsy is a neurological disorder associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain.  This happens when the nerve cells in the brain fire electrical impulses at a rate of up to four times, sometimes even more, than which is normal for the individual.  It is this electrical imbalance which causes the seizures and a pattern of repeated seizures is referred to as epilepsy.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders along with migraines and can affect anyone at any age in life. The effects of epilepsy are both physical and emotional.

Research shows that there has been a radical increase worldwide in epilepsy statistics and especially among small children. It is my personal reasoning that just like there is an increase in cancer, diabetes, schizophrenia, dementia, Alzheimer’s and so many other diseases of civilization (dread diseases) that the common denominator is definitely dietary related.  Specifically ii am referring to the toxic food additives which government approval agents seem to insist we must consume. Aspartame and MSG are the two major substances which cause the most trouble but there are many others. We already know that these substances especially aspartame and MSG can lead to seizures yet these substances are still included in our food when in reality they should be banned. So here we can already see a link between epilepsy and nutrition and seizures are becoming more common, as the general nutritional status of people declines all around the world.

Some causes of epilepsy have been identified such as head injuries, brain tumours, lead, mercury and other toxic metal poisoning, mal development of brain, genetic and infectious illnesses such as meningitis, inflammation, PH imbalances, lupus when affecting the central nervous system, swine flu, fever as well as injuries at birth (lack of oxygen for example) and foetal alcohol and drug syndromes.

Alzheimer’s, Downs Syndrome, autism, cerebral vascular accidents (strokes), drug and alcohol abuse can also lead to seizures in later life as these all cause damage to brain cells. Some patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis also experience seizures.

We also now know from numerous studies that low blood sugar can also lead to seizures and low blood sugar as ii will show you later, is largely caused by food additives.

This might come as a surprise to some but according to the Epilepsy Foundation.com there is a definite link between epilepsy and diabetes. The common denominator is fluctuating blood sugar levels.  People with hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) will tend to have focal or local seizures where those who are hypoglycaemic (low blood sugar) will tend to have tonic-clonic seizures.

As far as ii am concerned a seizure is a seizure and many patients and doctors alike might disagree but there really isn’t much difference between a diabetic seizure and other forms of seizures except for one major difference that a diabetic seizure can cause a diabetic patient to go into a coma.

The problem facing both types of seizures is their origin.  If the seizures are caused by fluctuations in blood sugar then treatment with anti-seizure drugs which focuses on electrical impulses in the brain, are actually tackling the wrong problems.

It is very interesting to note that a diabetic drug called Metformin (Glucophage) is showing promises of being useful in the treatment of seizures in epileptic patients who are otherwise drug resistant. This again proves the direct link between epilepsy and nutrition.

Doctor Avtar Roopra, associate professor with the department of neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin and his team found that Glucophage was able to turn on a molecule that regulates energy, and then found that they could suppress over-active nerve cells by inhibiting the transfer of sugar into excess energy.  So it makes sense that controlling blood sugar levels in turn controls seizures and this can be achieved simply by changing the diet.

The other important thing to remember is that many conventional medications including a lot of antibiotics, mention seizures under their side effects. If you google ‘Medicines that provoke seizures’ you will find a PDF document five pages long listing medications which can cause seizures as a side effect in people who are susceptible to seizures which is a lot of people since we are all in one way or another willingly or unwillingly consuming these toxic substances in our diet.

It is also interesting to note on this list that under the category recreational drugs alcohol and cocaine are listed but no mention is made of Cannabis and this is because Cannabis does not cause seizures on any level and in fact as you will see shortly many of the components of Cannabis in fact reduce anxiety, spasm and seizures.

As an example ii was once at a trance party which is a party that usually lasts around three days often longer.  A youth of around 22 years old began to seize which in my opinion at that time was a grand mal seizure.  Instinct kicked in and ii began to take care of the boy who was in really bad shape.  He had no medication with him and his friends were nowhere to be found.  It took me eight hours to calm his body down which ii did by massaging Cannabis oil on his head, face, hands and feet and ii also played him eight hours of reggae music. During the eight hours this child experienced over twelve massive seizures and ii must say one of the worst cases ii have seen outside a hospital.

But sadly in almost half of the cases diagnosed, no cause can be found by the medical practitioner and patients are prescribed various Anti-Epileptic Drugs (AED’s) and these medications control seizures for the majority of patients, however, many others are not having much seizure control and are suffering from the long term side effects of many of these AED drugs. It is precisely these patients which ii would like to study and in particular their dietary deficiencies.

There are different types of epilepsy and different syndromes and all types are characterized by frequent seizures which cause serious cognitive (mental, intellect, perception and rational thinking), behavioral and motor delays within the brain.

Many children are labored with hundreds of seizures every day some lasting for as long as half an hour, making it virtually impossible for them to function and develop and is obviously soul destroying for the family to bear.

In many cases the AED drugs prescribed for suffering children do not work and sometimes even make the seizures worse.

 

On top of this many of these drugs have serious side effects ranging from mild to life threatening.

 

On the mild side we are talking about hyperactivity, eye problems, digestive problems like nausea, diahorrhia and vomiting, weight gain, slower thinking, fainting and changes in heart beat up or down. Many parents have stated that sometimes the side effects can be as bad as the actual seizures. I have heard of patients, who claim that seizure drugs can increase your risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and that some of these drugs can cause you to lose your memory and hair and the internet is full of commentary from desperate sufferers who are struggling with the side effects of their medication.

 

Epilepsy is a life threatening condition but it is also treatable with diet and natural medication.

As the news of the positive results for so many children with uncontrollable epilepsy who have been treated with Cannabis oil spreads around the world desperate parents are crying out for more information and a chance for their children to try this natural treatment.

Even though there is still no concrete evidence based on research to date that marijuana extracts (Cannabinoids) can increase the risk of any psychiatric disorders or long-term cognitive problems, it will always be my personal reasoning that the long term effects that accompany the use of anti-epileptic drugs and a lifetime of stubborn seizures simply cannot be ignored. The positive results that so many people dealing with epilepsy are gaining through the use of Medical Marijuana extracts are encouraging and giving hope to people who had no hope before.

These same people have tried all the mind-numbing drugs, brain surgeries, VNS implants, diets and so many other alternative therapies with little or no relief for their seizures.

The medical profession is quick to warn us of the dangers of Marijuana because of the lack of clinical evaluations on patients.  We can all do our own research and discover that Medical Marijuana is indeed deserving of its place as a natural healing remedy for a wide variety of medical conditions.  I am in my eighteenth year of cancer remission where before ii was told that there is no hope for me and ii should have died around age 28.  Give thanks for life for ii am still able to continue my work in the field of study of Medical Marijuana despite prohibition laws which sabotage scientific research advancement.

The constituent of Marijuana which researchers are most hopeful to bring about relief for patients suffering from epilepsy is Cannabidiol (CBD), but it is important to gain an overall knowledge of how the Endocannabinoid System works and then clearly how the components of Marijuana in turn work on the Endocannabinoid system. You will see clearly that not only CBD but CBN and THCV as well as THC all have shown to provide relief for seizures which proves that the whole plant is needed to produce quality medicine.

 OVERVIEW OF THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM
 

You may go back to my dissertation paper to read the full information on the Endocannabinoid System (EC System) but since as recently as the 1990’s it is now a scientific fact that all humans have this physiological system in their bodies and therefore are supposed to consume Cannabis in order to stimulate this ‘new’ physiological system which got its name from the Cannabis Plant.  Sadly despite this revelation in science the plant with all its healing qualities remains out of reach of the average person by unfair laws, but we give thanks as consciousness is changing and people are starting to stand up and demand their rights and we can see this happening all over the world today.

So we already know that most of our tissues contain both CB1 and CB2 receptors, and each receptor is associated with a specific function which is to assist and protect the nervous system (CB1receptors) and to assist and protect the immune system (CB2 receptors), by maintaining homeostasis throughout the nervous and immune system as well as the endocrine system.

When cannabinoid receptors are stimulated by the consumption of cannabinoids, a number of physiologic processes start to take place.

When cannabinoids bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors, they proceed to modify the way the body functions, especially when there is a threat to homeostasis at any level of the body.

The Endocrine system is part of the body’s main control mechanism and controls our hormone system, and the main function of the Endocrine system is also homeostasis and so these two systems work alongside each other in defending the body from unnatural imbalance from external environmental sources.

It is also interesting to note that the Endocrine glands are directly aligned to the spiritual chakras, which is not a physical system but rather a system made up of aspects of consciousness. Reiki healers and other new age ‘light healers’ would focus on the chakras when carrying out their healing methods, and always with great success, which is proof that the connection between mind and body healing are essential to overall health.

The position of each of the seven chakras directly corresponds to the position of the particular endocrine gland which it affects.

The position of the EC system as being an important regulatory system in the function of brain, endocrine and immune tissues, quite literally makes the EC System a bridge between body and mind and by gaining an understanding of the Endocannabinoid System, we are beginning to see a physiological engine which can go a long way to explaining how our state of consciousness can promote our health.

 

 

 

Figure 1 Chakras and the Endocrine System

Source www.healingfromtheheart.co.uk

 

 

CHAKRA                                                              ENDOCRINE GLAND

CROWN CHAKRA	PINEAL GLAND
THIRD EYE CHAKRA	PITUITARY GLAND
THROAT CHAKRA	THYROID GLAND
HEART CHAKRA	THYMUS GLAND
SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA	PANCREAS
SACRAL CHAKRA	OVARIES
ROOT CHAKRA	ADRENAL GLANDS AND GONADS IN MALES

 

WHAT ARE ENDOCANNABINOIDS?

Endocannabinoids are the chemical substances which our bodies naturally produce to stimulate the identified CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, and, just as we need to boost our nervous and immune systems by consuming the required chemical components our body’s need, so too must we boost our EC System by consuming cannanbinoids which in the required quantities, are unique to the Cannabis plant.

Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found everywhere in the body, deep rooted within the cell membranes, and are now believed to be more numerous than any other receptor system in the body.

Two endocannabinoids have been identified and although science has already reported that they are investigating other endocannabinoids at this time, these are the two that we know the most about:
 

1.     ANANDAMIDE

Anandamide is a chemical molecule produced by the body and shares most but not all of the pharmacological properties of THC, and mimics the properties of THC in the body.

Anandamide’s actions at CB1 receptors are imitated by herbal and synthetic THC.

Anandamide plays an important role in appetite control, pain and depression as well as memory and fertility, and is also associated with feelings of euphoria in the same way as THC is.
 

2.    2-ARACHIDONOYLGLYCEROL (2-AG)

2-AG is the most common and widespread Endocannabinoid in the brain, working mostly with CB1 receptors in the nervous system.

Neuroprotection, cognitive flexibility performance and metabolic regulation are amongst the properties of 2-AG.
 

An interesting observation is that it has been noted in numerous studies that the expression of endocannabinoids does not relate to the distribution of cannabinoid receptors in the brain, suggesting that our endocannabinoids could also be interacting with other receptors or be involved with other cell processes.

Considering that the EC System is responsible for the well- being of the nervous, immune and endocrine systems, perhaps in lay man’s terms this indicates that both the EC system and Cannabis indeed have a most profound effect on the human body.

 

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM
 

1.    NEUROGENESIS

Neurogenesis is the creation of new neurons in the brain (new brain cells). Contrary to popular belief, research continues to show that Cannabis does not kill brain cells and in fact a recent study published in The International Journal of Neuropharmacology points to cannabinoids as a cause of neurogenesis in the brain and it was shown that Cannabidiol (CBD) increases adult neurogenesis while having no effect on learning.

“Most ‘drugs of abuse’ suppress neurogenesis.  Only marijuana promotes neurogenesis” – Dr Xia Zhang (Canadian researcher)

The complexity of the interactions between various cannabinoids, cell types, systems and individual organisms continues to challenge scientists and scholars alike, pushing researchers to meditate upon new ways to study health and how the body works. One possible ‘new’ way would be to consider both the internal and external human in other words the physical and spiritual being when reasoning about health solutions.
 

2.    HOMEOSTASIS/ADAPTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

Homeostasis is the number one factor in the biology of all living things and is best described as the ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite constant fluctuations in the external environment and the ability to maintain homeostasis is necessary for survival and medical disorders result from the failure of the body to maintain homeostasis, also known as homeostatic imbalance.

Cannabinoids are responsible for promoting homeostasis at every level of biological life, right from the sub-cellular, to the organism, and perhaps even to the community and beyond.
 

3.    AUTOPHAGY

 The EC system controls the process of autophagy which is a process involving cellular destruction of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components.

The process of autophagy breaks down damaged organelles, cell membranes and proteins, but does not damage or alter healthy cells at all, unlike the majority of so called cancer fighting drugs which kill off healthy cells as well as damaged cells.

The failure of autophagy is believed to be the main reason for on-going cell damage and the aging process.

It seems obvious therefore that we need to boost our EC systems in order to maintain our good health and indeed our longevity and failure to do so will result in a number of medical disorders.

The death of cancer cells, in turn, promotes homeostasis and survival at the level of the entire organism.

4.    ANALGESIA AND ANTI-IMFLAMMATORY

Cannabinoids are also found at the intersection of the body's various systems, allowing communication and coordination between different cell types.

For example, at the site of an injury, cannanbinoids can be found decreasing the release of activators and sensitizers from the injured tissue, thus stabilizing the nerve cells to prevent excessive firing, and calming nearby immune cells to prevent release of pro-inflammatory substances.
 

5.    REGULATION OF METABOLISM

Researchers have recently discovered that two of the six known cannabinoids can actually increase the amount of energy and fat which the body burns.

THCV and CBD are discussed in more detail under the heading The Big Six in a later chapter.

Although Cannabis is better known for inducing hunger in those who consume it, scientists have found that Cannabis also has an appetite suppressing effect.

It has been clinically proven that Cannabis boosts metabolism, leading to lower levels of fat in the liver and reduced cholesterol in the blood stream.

THCV was also found to increase sensitivity to insulin while also protecting the cells that produce insulin, allowing them to work more effectively, and this has certainly raised hopes that Cannabis can be developed into treatments for obesity related diseases as well as diabetes.

There is a definite link between marijuana use, glucose, insulin and insulin resistance.

Scientists now know that Cannabis activates adiponectin, a protein involved in regulating glucose and lipid (fat) metabolism, proving that there is a strong relationship between cannabinoids and exterior metabolic processes.
 

 

6.     HORMONE ABSORPTION

Studies have already shown that cannabinoids have a regulatory effect on the Endocrine System which controls hormone release as well as homeostasis in our bodies, indicating that cannabinoids can control the production and release of hormones.

The EC System is linked to the Endocrine system as it has been proven to play an important role in the secretion of hormones related to reproductive functions and response to stress, and therefore controls the functions of the Endocrine system.

Tests involving the production and release of oxytocin have given scientists hope to pursue studies of the role of cannabinoids in hormone release in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, as well as symptoms of autism.
 

HOW DO CANNABINOIDS WORK DIFFERENTLY TO OTHER NEUROTRANSMITTERS?

Brain cells are called neurons and they communicate with each other and with all the other cells in the body by sending chemical messages along the nervous system. These messages coordinate and regulate all which we think, feel and do in life.

The chemicals which are released from neurons (brain cells) are called neurotransmitters.  They travel across a small “gap” between cells known as a synapse.

Please see Figure 2 below, the space between the two purple neurons is the synapse.

They then attach themselves to specific receptors found on a nearby neuron and this automatically stimulates the receiving neuron into action, setting about a chain of events which allows the messages to be passed along.

When a neuron or cell is under attack, the cell in front of it is activated and is known as the pre-synaptic neuron, and the neuron behind the stressed cell is known as the post-synaptic neuron.

The EC system communicates its messages in a unique way because it essentially works in reverse, where other neurotransmitters are released and attach themselves to receptors on the post synaptic neuron forward to the presynaptic neuron. 

When a neuron is activated, the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) of the EC System, cannabinoids, are produced on demand from the fat cells already present in the neuron.

Cannabinoids are then released from that cell and travel in reverse to the presynaptic neuron and attach to the cannabinoid receptors of that cell.

The importance of this is that cannabinoids can actually act on presynaptic cells and therefore they can actually control what happens next when these cells are activated. Indeed a superior and brilliant defense system.

So cannabinoids work like a “dimmer switch” for presynaptic neurons by limiting the amount of various different neurotransmitters that gets released and this affects how messages and hormones are sent and received and processed by the cell.

The sole purpose of this function is to protect the cells from homeostatic imbalances which, is essential to sustaining life and optimum health as well as adjusting to environmental changes which are constantly changing and sadly not positively.

Cannabinoids are now deemed to be among the most common and the most important of all neurotransmitters.

 

 

Figure 2: The Endocannabinoid (EC) System and THC

Source:  www.scholastic.com

 

 

 

 

 

All evidence indicates that cannabinoids can act as both stimulants and inhibitors of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, and this is particularly evident in the research we have already seen on how cannabinoids affect appetite control, metabolic regulation as well as auto immune functions, its seems clear that whatever stress the body is under from external sources, where there are cannabinoids present they will rectify the situation and avoid a medical disorder.
 

THE BIG SIX - THE SIX MOST RESEARCHED CANNABINOIDS

There are over 460 known chemical constituents of the Cannabis plant and over 80 of these are cannabinoids, with new ones being discovered almost daily; so much more research is required to secure an overstanding of the full mechanisms of the EC system and all of the cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant, and how they work together to produce medical marijuana.

The following list represents a summary of the six most well researched cannabinoids to date:
 

1.     THC – Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol - psychoactive

THC is the most well-known of all the cannabinoids and is the most psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.

THC is the most active ingredient of Cannabis, and more than any other cannabinoid is associated with the majority of the pharmacologic effects of Cannabis, in order words, without THC most of the other cannabinoids would not occur or function in its absence.

THC imitates the actions of Anandamide (a cannabinoid produced naturally by the body) by binding with cannabinoid receptors and activating neurons, which can cause intricate effects on the mind and body.

It is critical to have an overstanding of the effects of psychedelic substances and in this respect we must strive to gain the responsibility to respect our dosage as only tiny amounts of cannabinoids is required to sustain optimum health.

THC has the ability to alter behavior, mood perception and consciousness and often promotes the meditation of sharing, humor and creativity, and feelings of euphoria.

There are many case studies and reports of people claiming to be able to enhance their natural abilities after consuming Cannabis including artists, students and athletes alike. In the same way many people will say that Cannabis induces psychosis and other mental conditions but the truth is on a spiritual level when you consume Cannabis this plant reveals YOU to you and it is easy to understand how some people can view this as psychosis.

The healing properties of THC include anti-cancer, anti-nausea, pain killer, appetite and metabolic regulation, anti-spasm, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, antimicrobial, neuro-protection (assists the brain from degenerating over time), anti-oxidant and so many more.
 

2.    CBD – Cannabidiol – Non psychoactive

CBD is a major constituent of medical Cannabis and does not possess psychoactive properties.

The presence of CBD can reduce some of the psychoactive effects of THC.

CBD has shown potential to relieve convulsion, inflammation, cough, congestion, nausea and most importantly the ability to reduce and in many reported cases of different types of cancers, to actually eliminate cancer cell growth.

CBD has also been shown to have anti- anxiety properties and is proving to bring great relief to people suffering with multiple sclerosis and frequent anxiety attacks and seizures.

Other healing abilities of CBD which have been researched include neuro protection, regulation of blood pressure and pain killing properties amongst others.

It has also been revealed that CBD has an effect on the genes which affect cholesterol metabolism and also has an appetite suppressing effect.

CBD also promotes uninterrupted sleep patterns which is essential to overall health and well -being.

There is not much you can do to increase CBD levels other than to choose strains with a known high CBD content.  CBD is naturally found in higher amounts in low THC varieties such as Cannabis ruderalis and some hemp species. So in other words you would need to source a ‘lower THC quality’ herb to prepare a high CBD medication.
 

3.     CBN – Cannabinol – Slightly psychoactive

CBN is only somewhat psychoactive at approximately ten per cent of the activity of THC.

CBN is a breakdown product of THC which takes place when THC is exposed to light or heat.

CBN levels in buds can be influenced by harvest, drying and curing processes and by waiting a little bit longer to harvest, until the trichomes are amber in colour, often results in higher levels of CBN. Higher exposure to air during the drying and curing stage and a longer curing phase also results in higher levels of CBN.

CBN in the presence of THC presents anti-anxiety properties, but does not in the absence of THC.

This is where we start to realise the intricacies of this plant and its components and in my experience treating a number of conditions, you will often hear me saying that all indications are that truthfully cannabinoids do not work effectively when isolated especially from THC.

CBN has sedative properties and has shown very promising anti-spasm properties, which is helping many children and adults who suffer from epilepsy. CBN also promotes uninterrupted sleep patterns.

CBN cannot exist without the presence of THC, and again this is the main reason why synthetic cannnabinoids are not as successful as herbal Cannabis.  CBN is the primary product of THC degradation, and there is usually very little CBN in the fresh plant.  CBN content increases as THC degrades in storage, and with exposure to light and air.  This is known as the curing process after harvest and is critical to the potency and purity therefore quality of the medication you are making.
 

4.     CBG – Cannabigerols – Non psychoactive

CBG has shown significant ability to counteract and terminate tumour formation.

CBG has also been shown to provide relief for intraocular pressure which has proven to be helpful in the treatment for glaucoma.

CBG has been identified as a primary cannabinoid because of the ability of the Cannabis plant to produce Cannabigerolic Acid (CBGA) which is exactly what makes the Cannabis plant so unique.

So chemically speaking CBG is the forerunner to the three major branches of cannabinoids:  Tetra-Hydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and Cannabichromenic acid (CBCA).

Cannabis has natural enzymes called synthases (a chemical enzyme which is the catalyst in a synthetic process), which breaks the CBGA down to produce the various cannanbinoids.

The Cannabis plant has three synthases which have been identified (THC –synthase, CBD synthase, CBC –synthase) and are so named after the cannabinoid which they create.

CBG is found in higher concentrations in hemp than in varieties of Cannabis usually cultivated for a high THC content. So again, if you are looking to make a medicine which is high CBD and CBG you need to source a low THC quality herb.

 

5.    THCV – Tetrahydrocannabivarin -  Psychoactive

THCV has shown massive potential to treat diabetes and is being investigated as an anti-obesity drug because of its ability to regulate metabolism and suppress appetite.

THCV is almost identical in chemical structure to THC, but slightly different in that unlike THC, CBD and CBC, THCV does not start out as a cannabigerolic acid (CBGA).

Instead of combining with olivetolic acid to create CBGA, the geranyl phosphate joins forces with divarinolic acid, which has two less carbon molecules. 

The result is Cannabigerovarin acid (CBGVA).  Once CBGVA is created, the process continues exactly the same as it does for THC.  CBGVA is broken down to tetrahydrocannabivarin carboxylic acid (THCVA) by the THCV synthase.  At that point, THCVA can be decarboxylated with heat or UV light to create THCV.

The effect of THCV on the CB1 and CB2 receptors is different to the effects of THC.

THCV is in reality an antagonist (inhibitor) of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, so in other words instead of stimulating these receptors THCV actually blocks them from being activated which is what makes THCV so important in the study of obesity and appetite control and metabolic regulation which it is showing signs of being able to control, as an appetite suppressant.

THCV has shown to reduce and even completely block panic attacks and this feature has THCV also showing great potential to be able to lower the seizure and convulsion threshold for people suffering from epilepsy.

Some of the best loved sativa strains are known to be high in THCV for example Durban poison and many of the Haze and Cheese strains as well as their hybrids.
 

6.     CBC – Cannabichromenes – non psychoactive

6.1 NEUROGENESIS

The Endocannabinoid Research Group stated that their results suggest that CBC can help the growth and survival of NPSCs. 

Neural Progenitor Stem Cell (NPSCs), are the stem cells of the brain and are vital to brain functioning.  NPSCs are the precursors to the three types of brain cells, being neurons, oligondendrocytes and astrocytes, and because they are able to create any of these cells, they are now being investigated to help regenerate brain cells. One can only begin to imagine how valuable this therapy would be in the treatment of Epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

Astrocytes are the most prevalent cells in the brain and their role is to support and protect the neurons. At the site of injury, astrocytes repair a damaged area and replace any area that cannot be repaired.

The scientists at The Endocannabinoid Research Group have found that CBC is related to higher concentrations of NPSCs.  CBC also seems to inhibit the creation of proteins that cause the NPSCs to convert to other brain cells and this suggests that CBC may interact with this process and also take on the characteristics of being able to decide what brain cells are being developed and when they are being developed at cellular level.

CBC’s ability to promote neurogenesis is a fairly recent finding but previous studies suggest that THC and CBD can do the same, which again illustrates my reasoning that isolated or synthetic cannabinoids simply do not work as well as when working with the whole marijuana plant and in particular THC.

6.2  ANTI -TUMORAL PROPERTIES
 

CBC has shown to have anti-proliferative effects, which means it inhibits the growth of cancerous tumours.  This has been found to be as a result of its interaction with Anandamide (our natural Endocannabinoid) which has been found to aid the fight against human breast cancer.  CBC inhibits the uptake of Anandamide, which allows it to stay in the blood stream longer.

6.3 OTHER BENEFITS
 

CBC has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and very promising anti-biotic properties.

In addition CBC is also now believed to stimulate bone growth, which is a profound discovery in researching osteoporosis.
 

You may read the story of Dr O’Shaughnessy (The Father of Medical Marijuana) in my full paper and for the purpose of this paper ii will include this extract.

“Six years after arriving in India, Dr O’Shaughnessy presented the first medical paper in the modern sense, of the research being objective and scientifically collated – to The Medical and Physical Society of Bengal.  It was entitled On the Preparation of the Indian hemp, or Gunjah (Cannabis indica):  The Effects on the Animal System in Health, and Their Utility in the Treatment of Tetanus and Other Convulsive Diseases.

Dr O’Shaughnessy concluded that these clinical studies have “led me to the belief that in Hemp (Cannabis) the profession has gained an anti-convulsive remedy of the greatest value”

 

CANNABINOID EXTRACTION

I have the utmost respect for anyone who successfully manages to produce pure and quality Cannabis oil for medicinal purposes as ii personally know exactly how hard it is to do so.

 

However ii am extremely concerned with the solvent of choice, and this is expressed with absolutely no disrespect to Mr Rick Simpson. In my quest to make the perfect natural Cannabis medication, over the years I have become increasingly concerned with the poisoness content of solvents like alcohol, naphtha, which is also used as paint thinner, and even butane gas.

Not only are these solvents poisoness but are also highly flammable and incredibly dangerous to work with due to the dangerous fumes which are present during this process of extraction. Some solvent components like hexane and benzene may also be neurotoxic. IanI fear that twenty years down the line people are going to start reporting that their cannabis oil killed them or caused some medical disorder which in fact was caused by a poisoness solvent in the process.

 

According to many manufacturers, naphtha and petroleum-ether are considered potential carcinogenic, and some products which are sold as naphtha may contain added impurities for example those of Coleman ® fuel, which may have harmful properties of their own.

Cannabis oil which is produced with alcohol extraction is usually concentrated by evaporating the solvents that were used in the extraction process.

The more concentrated the extract becomes, the more difficult it is to remove the residual solvent and in this case, applying more heat will increase solvent evaporation, but at the same time the valuable components like the cannabinoids and terpenes may also be damaged or lost resulting in a lower quality of oil.

THE CANNABIS/COCONUT CONNECTION

 

Diabetes, epilepsy and many other dietary related conditions, including conditions of the Endocrine system for example Alzheimer’s (degenerative brain disease) and Crohn’s (inflammatory bowel disease), are on the increase due to dietary problems within society and the intentional manipulation of foodstuffs by scientists and manufacturers to include substances which are less than healthy to the human body, for the sole purpose of generating increased profits.

 

Many research projects are currently underway in this field of study. Studies are showing that coconut oil is proving helpful in preventing liver disease, kidney disease, Crohn's disease, cancer and many infectious illnesses such as the flu, herpes, bladder infections, and candida, to mention just a few even ringworm and aluminum poisoning.

Studies are also now being conducted to test the effectiveness of coconut oil against serious illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, and preliminary trial test results are proving to be very promising, this is due to the immense immune system boosting properties of coconut oil.

The combination of Cannabis and Coconut is a winning combination with superior health benefits particularly in respect of so called dread diseases and diseases involving  seizures, dietary conditions like obesity and diabetes as well as disorders of the nervous system such as Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

There are many similarities between the healing properties of Cannabis and coconut oil as highlighted before in the full paper; anti -cancer, immune boosting properties, anti-fungal, anti- bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti- microbial and metabolic regulation properties to name but a few similarities between these two previously condemned sources of natural healing.

Another interesting similarity between Cannabis and coconut is that neither have any serious side effects and only a few cases of coconut allergies have ever been reported and these reports are rare and scarce, and each are actually believed to be peanut related allergies instead of coconut allergies. So there is no proof of Cannabis or coconut allergies.

Most people who are allergic to peanuts and other nuts are able to consume coconut as an alternative.

Both Cannabis and coconut are made up of unique combinations of chemical constituents which are unique to each plant and not replicated anywhere else in nature and do not work in isolation and the fact that these unique components have such similar healing properties convinces me that this is definitely one of the many secret natural and herbal combinations provided by Mother Nature to heal a variety of medical disorders. Another example of a secret natural and herbal combination is honey and cinnamon which you can research in your own time.

THE IMPORTANCE OF VITIMIN D FOR EPILEPSY

The ability of coconut oil to increase the absorption of some of the B vitamins and in particular the fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K, together with the fact that cannabinoids are fat soluble gives clear evidence to the fact that coconut oil has the ability to increase cannabinoid extraction, because it is a saturated fat, and therefore produce a more potent product through total cannabinoid extraction. The human brain is 60 percent fat and this leads us to contemplate further the fact that cannabinoids are fat soluble and coconut oil is a highly saturated natural fat, that this combination certainly seems to be all about fats and fat absorption by the body and brain when considering the medicinal benefits of both plants and how they work on the body.

It is surprising how many people are deficient in Vitamin D but people suffering from seizures are at greater risk of Vitamin D deficiency.  The main source of this vitamin is the sun and people who have frequent seizures are not as likely to be able to go outdoors and stay active. Another problem is that a lot of anti-epileptic drugs can hinder vitamin D metabolism resulting in deficiency.  So it is very important that you keep an eye on your vitamin D levels and avoid this side effect.

So why is Vitamin D so important for epilepsy?  As we read before epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system and specifically the brain. Vitamin D is no ordinary vitamin.  It is a neuro-regulatory steroidal hormone which influences about 3000 different genes in your body.  Vitamin D receptors are found in the brain and spinal cord and recent research suggests that vitamin D may enhance the amount of important chemicals which the brain needs to protect its cells. Remember we have learnt that the Endocannabinoid System controls the functions of the Endocrine System which controls our hormone system and Vitamin D is a neuro-regulatory steroidal hormone.

In medical matters some repetition is necessary so remember now that Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin (steroidal hormone), coconut oil is the highest natural source of saturated fat, Cannabis is fat soluble and the human brain is 60% fat.

Coconut oil has the ability to increase the absorption of Vitamin D in the body.

More and more studies are showing that improving vitamin D levels reduces seizures by up to 40%. In a recent study the most revealing result occurred among the patient whose vitamin D was a dangerously low 4 ng/ml (Nano-grams per mille liter) at the start of the study.

Just to give you an idea a level of between 20ng/ml and 50ng/ml is considered adequate for healthy people and a level of less than 12ng/ml would indicate a vitamin D deficiency.

So this patient in study had a level of 4ng/ml and had endured 450 seizures in a three-month period. But after raising vitamin D level to 43.1ng/ml, the seizures dropped to 30 in three months. The study did have some limitations, namely the small number of subjects and the lack of a placebo to compare to, but it still highlighted the importance of correcting vitamin D deficiency in epilepsy patients.

Doctor Joseph Mercola is a famous medical author and you can check his credentials on line.  According to Dr Mercola nearly 50% of people with epilepsy are also Vitamin D deficient. Despite this well- known link, only a single study has been published on the effect of Vitamin D for seizure control in the past 40 years.  This single study revealed that treating epileptic patients with Vitamin D2 greatly reduced the number of seizures.  In 1974 researchers concluded that ‘results may support the concept that epileptics should be treated prophylactically with Vitamin D’.

Nearly 40 years later researchers have again revealed that ‘the normalization of serum vitamin D has an anticonvulsant (anti- seizure) effect.’ So clearly much more quality research is required but all evidence indicates this connection between epilepsy and vitamin D to be truth.  As we can see from history it is no surprise that natural healing remedies are kept in the background of the information system and this is obviously done to promote the pharmaceutical industry. We must all take personal responsibility and educate ourselves in logical health solutions.

Doctor Carolyn Dean MD ND is not just a medical doctor, she is also a naturopath, herbalist, acupuncturist, nutritionist, lecturer, consultant and published author.  She has been studying health issues for over 30 years.

I found this story on her website very interesting.  One of her clients is a health professional. He had endured three brain surgeries 30 years ago for epilepsy and is still on seizure medications and with good results. However he said that recently after being prescribed mega doses of Vitamin D from his neurologist, he suffered his first seizure in thirteen years.

She informed her patient that large doses of Vitamin D can expose an underlying magnesium deficiency.  Magnesium has a calming effect on the brain.  Her patient went on to tell her that he had noticed that his last seizure from 13 years ago was set on by too much ice cream. Doctor Dean reasoned that since ice cream is high in calcium it would also expose a magnesium deficiency thus bringing a seizure on.

Doctor Dean also recommended that her patient start to consume coconut oil orally.  She told him 2 to 5 tablespoons per day to “heal the brain”.  As an example she uses another client who has been epileptic for fifteen years and had his first seizure-free week when he worked up to 5 tablespoons of coconut oil per day.  He is also taking magnesium in various forms.

It is very important that everyone realizes that ii am not suggesting that people suffering from epilepsy and seizures stop taking their meds and start investing in coconut oil or Cannabis for that matter.  What ii am suggesting is that there are natural alternatives for people suffering from seizures and ii personally recommend a window period of no less than twelve months from seriously starting to look at your nutrition before anyone considers leaving their meds.  This is why it is crucial that conventional and natural health practitioners start to work together and reason together on logical health solutions. We should also all take a re-look at our hypocritical oaths, which state that we will do ‘NO HARM’. It is interesting to note that the original oath includes promises to find the best diet and not to administer poison to anyone but the modern version which was rewritten in 1964 does not mention these important promises.

Again, you can go back to my full paper and read about the benefits of Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA’s).

So we know that MCFA’s in coconut oil are metabolized differently than long chain fatty acids found in unsaturated fats and products.

MCFA’s go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are converted into energy instead of fat. They are also converted into ketones which has a therapeutic effect on brain disorders like epilepsy as well as Alzheimer’s.  Remember that people with Alzheimer’s also suffer from seizures.

The treatment of epilepsy with coconut oil was developed at the Mayo Clinic in the 1920’s and the Ketogenic diet is still used today especially with small children where anti-epileptic medications do not work. Coconut oil is used to induce ketosis in patients. Many scientists believe that ketones aid in the activation of special proteins that help in the maintenance of brain cells, their repair and their growth.  Consuming coconut oil increases the blood ketone level and this is what makes it possible to treat epilepsy with coconut oil and many people are finding this to be true and we should encourage sufferers to let nutrition be an early option for treatment instead of waiting and choosing it only as a last resort.

There is no denying that Cannabis and coconut oil has a major role to play in many health issues and particularly epilepsy.

Because coconut oil is the only oil stable enough to resist mild heat induced damage which results in virtually no loss or damage to cannabinoids, coconut infused Cannabis oil is more potent and definitely more pure which is the winning combination we are looking for when assessing the effectiveness of a truly natural Cannabis oil which is extracted with a natural solvent.

All my experiments with extracting and baking with Cannabis and coconut oil have proven beyond any shadow of doubt that coconut oil makes the Cannabis more potent each and every time and this is because the cannabinoids practically jump into the coconut oil and this proves the natural affinity of natural saturated fats and the fat soluble components of Cannabis.

I am now totally convinced, that coconut oil is the perfect pure and natural cannabinoid extraction solvent. I encourage combining these two medicines to produce one health remedy for a variety of medical conditions.

Cannabis oil extracted with coconut oil is lighter in color than oil extracted with alcohol which is dark and thick like treacle.  This is because the alcohol strips all the water soluble parts of the plants as well, including the chlorophyll giving it this dark color. Coconut infused Cannabis oil is amber/avocado in color, because it only extracts the fat soluble components of marijuana(the cannabinoids), so you can be sure that you are getting pure cannabinoid extraction without all the water soluble parts like the chlorophyll concentrate (not chlorophyll in general), because chlorophyll also has highly beneficial medicinal properties in other applications.

Chlorophyll concentrate in Cannabis oil has produced some cases of diarrhea and upset gastric systems which are common side effects of chlorophyll. In less vulnerable patients they might feel brief spells of queasiness which is the action of the chlorophyll. This does not happen when using coconut oil because the chlorophyll is not stripped in the extraction process and second coconut oil is not readily absorbed into the gastric tract.

It seems obvious that medical marijuana is based on fats and lipids and this is why the products produced by coconut oil extraction are more pure and more potent because coconut oil is the highest source of saturated fat in nature.

Most people, including doctors and nutritionists simply don't know much about coconut oil or Cannabis because they haven't ever studied it. This is because we have been programmed by a system that is profit driven, that coconut oil is a bad saturated fat and causes heart disease. The truth is that the complete opposite is actually true. It is the unsaturated fats which are causing the increase in heart disease. You can read in the full paper the reasons why Cannabis is illegal.

We can hardly blame our medical practitioners because most of the instruction that student doctors and other medical professionals receive during and after graduating from medical school is provided by the pharmaceutical industry and, therefore, is very prejudiced and very rarely if ever include natural healing remedies let alone illegal plants.

Cannabis and coconut oil can be used in cooking and baking, on the skin, on the hair as well as consuming a few teaspoons of liquid coconut infused Cannabis oil a few times a day, and the taste is not unpleasant at all. It is the perfect pure and natural extraction and delivery method especially for people who do not care for smoking.

 

The Holy anointing oil described in Exodus 30 verse 22 – 25 was created from:

·     500 shekels (about 6 kg) pure myrrh

·     250 shekels (about 3 kg) sweet cinnamon

·     250 shekels (about 3 kg) Kaneh- bosem

    · 500 shekels (about 6 kg) Cassia

·    One hin (about four liters) Olive oil

 

Sources generally agree about the identity of four of the five ingredients of the anointing oil, but the identity of the fifth, that of ‘Kaneh (Qaneh)-bosem was a matter of controversy.

It was only in 1936, that the first solid evidence of the Hebrew use of Cannabis was established by Sula Benet, a Polish etymologist from the Institute of Anthropological Sciences in Warsaw. (He studies the origin of words and how their meanings have changed throughout history)

Sula Benet demonstrated that the word for Cannabis is ‘Kaneh-bosm’, also translated in traditional Hebrew as ‘kaneh’ or ‘kannabus’.

The word appears five times in the Old Testament; in the books of Exodus 30 verse 22—23, The Songs of Songs 4 verse 14, Isaiah 43 verse 23-24, Jeremiah 6 verse 20 and Ezekiel 27 verse 19.

The word ‘kaneh-bosm’ is now accepted as having been mistranslated as ‘calamus’, a common marsh plant with little value does not have the properties attributed to ‘kaneh-bosm’. This error occurred in the oldest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and was repeated in the many translations that followed.

It is this knowledge which led me to create this recipe through JAH powers and this is the medicine which ii personally use and many others who are having divine success treating a number of conditions as ii do receive messages of thanks from time to time.

 

THE CANNABIS COCONUT OIL RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

Pure Virgin Coconut oil (Recommend any organic coconut oil)

Dry Cannabis – best quality seedless bud you can get hold of

Time, patience and positive vibrations

 

METHOD
 

Separate the flowers from seeds and stalks and grind the dried Cannabis into a fine

powder.     

 

Melt the coconut oil.

Use only enough oil to cover the cannabis amount used, work on 100 ml of oil to 10

grams of powdered cannabis for a good quality.

pour the pure virgin coconut oil into the pressure cooker on the lowest heat setting

which should be just less than 100 degrees Celsius.

 

Let the oil warm up on low heat if you are using a crock pot, and add a pinch of

Cannabis powder when the oil starts to fizz, add the rest of the cannabis powder.

The oil must never bubble or boil therefore you have to keep a constant eye on the pot,

stirring at regular intervals.

 

If the oil starts to bubble reduce the heat immediately even if this means switching off for

a while this is no problem, the oil must never boil or bubble.

Continue with this process for six hours always checking the heat and keeping it on

constant low heat, use a wooden spoon to stir at frequent intervals. I have tried many

experiments to try reduce the cooking time and ii can vouch for the six hours to produce

the best quality medicine.

After six hours turn the heat off and let the oil cool. There is no harm in switching off and

continuing after every few hours if time or circumstances do not permit even if you are

cooking on a fire.

 

Once the oil has cooled strain it through a muslin cloth or a fine mesh sieve using the

back of a teaspoon to press the oil through. It is much easier to use the cloth which you

can secure over a bowl with an elastic band.

 

Store the oil in glass jar and keep it in a cool dry place. Always remember to open the

glass jar before you put it in boiling water as it will crack and many patients have lost

their valuable medicine in this way.

 

Coconut oil naturally solidifies at room temperature and all you have to do is place the

glass jar in some boiling warm water and let it melt, you can also use your Cannabis

Coconut oil in the solid form as butter.

NOTES:

If you do not have a pressure cooker or crock pot there are other options like using two pots inside one another (one larger than the second).  Or you could also use seal cap glass jars inside a pot of water, but then you must raise the bottles so that you do not create a heat spots under the jar, the heat is the most important factor and you must stand around your pot the full six hours, if you have to stop cooking just turn the heat off completely and continue when you are free to do so, this is not ideal because a lot of the process has to do with the energy that you yourself are putting into the pot, do not leave the oil on the heat unattended you will damage the cannabinoids and lose potency.  Even street marijuana is expensive and this is a valuable lesson learnt. You can research these options on many of the websites I have used in the research of this paper.

Coconut oil has a smoke point of 171 degrees celcius so at 100 degrees and less it cannot produce any dangerous fumes because it will not create smoke at this temperature so this recipe can be followed while cooking on gas, electricity even fire and anyone can make their own medicine with this recipe.

DOSAGE

This is where personal responsibility is of paramount importance.  If you have never used Cannabis before it is essential to start on the smallest possible dose gradually building up to increased dosages.  Your body will need to adjust to the stimulation of the Endocannabinoid System which usually is only felt after the first three to four times of taking it, where after you will ‘feel’ the effects.  Speak to people who have used Cannabis to get an idea of what to expect because no two people are alike and no two Cannabis plants are alike.  I am personally on a maintenance dose of 1 ml per day ingested so if you are treating any cancer related condition I recommended the average person who has not consumed Cannabis before to start with a half teaspoon three times a day building up to tablespoons as soon as you have established your own personal Cannabis tolerance levels. Sometimes this is too strong and sometimes the patient does not report feeling any difference.

It is prudent to take notes of your cooking sessions so you can gather information based on the weights of the herb you are using. So at the end you will be able to work out precisely how many grams or point grams Cannabis is present per milliliter of oil.  In this way you can better gauge your tolerance and adjust future recipes and dosing accordingly. I have visions of the future providing us with ‘dip stick’ style testers to test our oils for cannabinoids so for example a person seeking medical marijuana for epilepsy would be looking for a low THC high CBD strain and so on.

It is also a good idea to keep a journal of your seizures as well as to keep note of what you are eating.  This will help you to identify seizure hot spot times and your food triggers.

The most responsible thing to do is educate yourself and if it is possible to open dialogue on the topic of Medical Marijuana with your doctor or health care provider then definitely this is the first point of call.

NUTRITION AND EPILEPSY

A balanced diet from all of the food groups helps the body and brain to function, helping us to stay healthy. Proper nutrition and a balanced diet can help reduce the risk of seizures for many people suffering with epilepsy. 

Earlier ii have mentioned the Ketogenic diet which has been around since 1921 and is still being used to treat both adults and children suffering from epilepsy.

Study reviews show that around 50% of children have at least a 50% reduction in epileptic seizures and this is an impressive reduction if you consider that the only change in their treatment is dietary. However there are some patients, estimated around 10% of sufferers who have reported a more than 50% increase in seizures and others who were simply unable to start this diet or follow it through and there are some who experience no reductions or improvements on this diet.

The Ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate and low protein diet that induces and maintains ketosis in order to control seizures. This diet must only be used under the strict supervision of a medical practitioner and an epileptic expert who has studied nutrition. This diet is usually only recommended in patients who do not respond to their anti-epileptic drugs.

Exactly how this diet works in selected people is still under dispute and generally not much is known about it.  The benefits are believed to be due to the induced state of ketosis, so if a patient does not have a seizure or experiences less severe seizures when they are not able to eat, this would indicate that this diet may play a role in successfully controlling seizures.

 

It is an incredibly difficult diet to follow and has to be followed very strictly because even a small mistake like eating a piece of chewing gum may bring on a seizure and cause the diet to fail. It is also very expensive, time consuming and certainly can become disruptive to family life in general. So this diet requires extreme personal discipline which can be extremely difficult especially when dealing with children.

This diet is clearly deficient in many nutrients so supplements will be needed and it is important to be aware of drug nutrient interactions of anti-epileptic drugs. Many medical drugs result in nutrient deficiencies in particular vitamin D as well as magnesium and calcium, which we now know is essential to epileptics to protect their brain tissues and cells.

It is true that the Ketogenic diet has and continues to help many people suffering with seizures and again this proves that there is a strong connection between epilepsy and nutrition.

I have always believed that the most common cause of all medical disorders is dehydration and studies have proven that there is a direct link between dehydration and epilepsy as dehydration triggers seizures. When the nervous system is delicate, even a minor shift can increase seizure activity for a short time so it is of paramount importance for a person suffering from seizures to ensure that they do not allow their bodies to dehydrate.

The short term difficulties of this diet include dehydration, hypoglycaemia, vomiting, diarrhoea and anorexia (refusal to eat).

 

We already know that dehydration and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) can trigger seizures and the other side effects lead to both dehydration and hypoglycaemia.  So while this diet may prove effective in some patients it is actually not an ideal diet to follow and we must look at nutrition as a whole as we study dietary solutions to control epilepsy.

Long term difficulties include kidney stones, recurrent infections, metabolic derangements such as hyperuricemia and hypocalcemia, irritability, lethargy and anorexia again.  All of these side effects can in fact trigger seizures and there are currently no reports of complications arising after a two year period of being on this diet.

 

Let us now take a closer look at nutrition in general because it really is vital information and a lot of it you cannot find easily because it is hidden.

 DREAD DISEASES

The term ‘diseases of civilization’ was once used to describe the many plagues of the past and ancient times, but in this day and age  it now applies to chronic conditions which are still considered to be of ‘unknown origin’ and which have now become leading health problems in industrialized countries.

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, obesity, high blood pressure and many other diseases continue to advance progressively and relentlessly, and are hastened by the interaction of old and new environmental risk factors that happen to coexist in industrialized and developing countries.

Some of the reasons contributing to the diseases of civilization are increased accumulation of environmental pollution, overcrowding in continually growing cities, increase in cigarette smoking, alcohol, increased sugar and fat consumption, as well as disintegration of the social infrastructure which directly affects lifestyle.

The nervous system is the most metabolically active system in the human body.  The human brain never rests and even in a state of coma where respiration has to be controlled with machinery and intensive care equipment the brain will even then ultimately only lose about 50% of function.

Because of this situation the human brain also has one of the highest rates of free radical and lipid (fats) generation.  The human brain consists of sixty% fat. The brain consumes 20% of all oxygen and 2% of all the glucose, at 2% of body weight.

NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR

The first mention of the connection between diet and behaviour was by George M Gould MD in 1910.  In 1935 it was recognized that hypoglycaemia could mimic anxiety, neurosis, hysteria, neurasthenia (simply put refers to damaged nerves) and even psychosis. So this is not new information. Seizures are also triggered by emotions and this is very important when looking at the effect of low blood sugar on behaviour because this also affects emotions.

In a 1973 study of hypoglycaemia Dr Wendel and Beeb found a 74% incidence of hypoglycaemia with anxiety associated schizophrenia. 60% of the survey members with families had hyperactive children, and the parents either had diabetes, obesity or alcoholism reported, all of which are sugar consumption problems.

So, why do sugar and carbohydrates play such a big role on brain function and psychological function?

When there is a sugar excess in the body the brain automatically releases insulin to combat this situation which in turn leads to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).

When the blood sugar drops the body automatically responds to get the sugar level up because it needs the sugar for energy metabolism and the brain then stimulates the adrenal gland to produce two hormones, Epinephrine and Norepinephrine.

These hormones are what make you feel anxious when your blood sugar drops.  They also stimulate the brain to increase activity.  When the brain becomes hypoglycaemic it releases a neurotransmitter called Glutamate and this is the primary neurotransmitter for excitability, making it the main thing that turns the brain’s activities into high gear.

Therefore the two hormones, Epinephrine and Norepinephrine together with Glutamate produce and increased state of hyperactivity in the brain. You will see later on that Glutamate is the G in MSG.

In the 1900’s Americans consumed 4 pounds of sugar a year, nowadays an average of 129 pounds a year is consumed effectively a 2500% increase in sugar consumption.

57% of this sugar comes from processed foods which are hidden in our foods.  The leading source of sugar in the American diet comes from fruit juices and sodas representing 43% and wherever you go especially where there are young people, they are all drinking sodas and if you look at the advertising campaigns they are all targeted at the youth.

Here in South Africa, things do not look much better and a recent study the first of its kind in the country and known as the South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and was compiled by the Human Sciences Research Council.

They conducted surveys and interviews with more than 25 000 people across 500 different areas in South Africa.

The findings showed that 19.7% of South Africans were consuming an excessive amount of sugar and almost 21% reported a family history of high blood sugar.

The average person consumes 17 teaspoons (70g) of sugar and similar sweeteners. Nutritionists say that we should not be exceeding 10 teaspoons of sugar per day.

In the US, since 1974 consumption of sodas has doubled and teenagers are drinking an equivalent of 54 teaspoons of sugar a day, just from sodas.

Another study from University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill found that adults aged between 40 and 59 years old increased their intake of sodas by 250% between 1972 and 2001.

People over the age of 60 years old had increased their intake by 300%, so it’s not only the young people on the sugar rush.

We now know that when you increase your sugar intake we dramatically increase free radical activity in the brain and it produces cross linking of the proteins and all of the cells, the bottom line is that it makes every cell in your body age much faster especially your brain cells.

It is interesting to me how the Americans always come up with a name for everything and so it is now estimated that 50% of people in the US have reactive hypoglycaemia which means that the blood sugar drops rapidly because of the over secretion of insulin release due to the high sugar intake and the sugar drops so low that you start to develop symptoms of anxiety and anger and you start to feel weak and you feel that you have to eat something quickly before passing out and indeed some people do pass out and even have seizures from reactive hypoglycaemia. All of this results in permanent brain damage.  Remember now that emotions also trigger seizures in epilepsy.

Sugar is not the only thing that can cause hypoglycaemia.  Aspartame and Monosodium glutamate (MSG) both stimulate insulin release and bring on hypoglycaemia. They are called excitotoxins because they irritate the nervous system and cause damage even destruction. Eliminating such substances will definitely help people suffering from seizures.

Food manufacturers love MSG which is why they put so much of it in foodstuffs because it makes you hungry and you eat more of their food.  We also know from studies that MSG can induce intense rage.  Tests have been carried out by injecting microinjections directly into the brain of lab rats.  In some cases the rat killed the cat which highlights the intensity of the rage that is almost uncontrollable.  These are American and European studies.

When you are hypoglycaemic and you add MSG at the same time, a tremendously magnified effect of excitotoxicity (brain hyperactivity) is induced.

It happens in society all the time.  When you are out drinking a coke and eating some doritas, which are very high in MSG that is why they taste so good, your blood glutamate level rises and brain activity increases, blood sugar drops, and in susceptible people, which is a lot of people, you can fall into severe rage.  So of course this is a profound effect and excitotoxicity destroys brain cells. As ii stated before emotions can also trigger seizures so if sugar and substances like MSG and Aspartame can trigger rage then we can see how this is true.

As ii said before these toxic substances are hidden in our foods and ii really want people to become aware of this that it is intentional because we know that these substances are killing our people off but they, the people in charge of our freedom, they insist on forcing us to consume such substances and even go to great lengths to find new names for the same substances.  This is where our system fails us wholeheartedly.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) has had more name changes than we should ever have to admit but here are a few of these names which may help you to identify this poisoness substance.

“Gelatin, Calcium Caseinate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable protein, Yeast Extract, Glutamate, Autolyzed Plant Protein Yeast, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Autolyzed Yeast”

It is crucial that you check the labels and check with restaurants what products they are using.  Just a note on restaurants and ii speak from 32 years of experience in this industry.  In the current global economic situation many restaurants are looking at cutting costs and one of the first things that happens is that sunflower oil becomes overused.  You can see my notes in my full paper on the Endocannabinoid System just how toxic sunflower oil is for us which is why ii advocate coconut oil for all cooking and ii must repeat again, remember that the human brain is 60% fat.  From my work with epileptic patients we have identified overused sunflower oil as a common trigger for seizures in people suffering from epilepsy.

The same story prevails for Aspartame which is also masqueraded under other names like Nutrasweet, Equal, Spoonful, Benevia, Natrataste and some other names which you can research.  So again, you can clearly see that these toxic substances are intentionally hidden from us.

Glutamate and aspartate are neuro stimulating amino acids.  They are non-essential amino acids which means they are not required in the diet as the body produces these naturally.

So we know for real that both MSG and Aspartate cause seizures in humans, not only in people suffering from epilepsy. And we know that MSG is the amino acid glutamate (glutamic acid) and aspartame contains the amino acid aspartate (aspartic acid).  These substances are specifically used for their neuro-stimulatory properties.  MSG stimulates the taste buds making them more sensitive to the foods passing over them and is therefore a flavour enhancer. Aspartame does the same thing while releasing a sweet taste. In repetition ii must highlight that both are neuro-stimulants and used for that express purpose.  Both are neurotoxic in excessive quantities. This is not a theory this is a known and proven scientific fact. Both have caused seizures, migraines, pain syndromes and so many other conditions.  Aspartame is being investigated for its role in the increase of brain tumours and Alzheimer’s disease but still food manufacturers are permitted to continue using these toxic substances.

Doctor John B Symes www.dogtorj.net has some interesting theories on the relationship of epilepsy and nutrition and this prompted him to develop the G.A.R.D diet.  The Glutamate-Aspartate Restricted Diet is an elimination diet, specifying definite foods including food products and ingredients which must be avoided.

Forbidden foods include gluten found mostly in wheat and grains, casein which is a protein found in cows’ milk and most dairy products, soy, corn including corn syrup and all corn derived products and of course MSG and Aspartame.

FOOD ALLERGIES

A lot of people are allergic to foods without even knowing it because they do not find physical symptoms like rash, stomach cramps, swelling and so on.  But most foods have subtle symptoms like lethargy, stupor, disorientation, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, agitation, rage, panic attacks, criminal and anti-social behaviour and even seizures. This is because of substances like MSG and aspartame being intentionally included in our food despite all the research available on their toxicity.

The immune system reacts intensely to certain food components, which triggers an equally intense reaction in the brain so the brain is also activated and releases toxic components like Glutamate and this is what causes neurological dysfunction and long term brain cell damage. Remember that Glutamate stimulates seizures in epilepsy.

Vaccination also causes many neurological effects such as  ADD (Attention deficit disorder), ADDH (Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity), Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, autism and so many others.  The reason for this is that when you vaccinate a child you not only activate the immune system you also turn on the brains’ immune system. The reality is through vaccination the immune reaction goes on for years, non-stop, resulting in an inflamed brain that will not calm down and this is what contributes to brain dysfunction in small children especially when they are consuming all these poisoness toxins in their food, unknowingly.  This is why there are so many cases of ‘unknown’ epilepsy it is because of the poisons they are putting in our food.  Personally ii find this to be a massive crime against humanity.

Most people do not know that soya is a leading candidate for food allergies but we have millions of people eating and drinking as much soya as they can.  We can see an array of soya bean products even present in baby foods, so now we are feeding the baby soya as well as the mother. We have all been deceived, ii myself was a vegan for 40 years living mainly off soya products which is how ii became ill.  We have been misled to believe that soya is a healthy source of protein and helps against breast and prostate cancer of which there is absolutely no firm evidence. However, there is evidence that soya will make breast cancer grow faster and since ii suffered from breast cancer you can take it from me directly that this is truth.

Doctor Symes did a study on epileptic children who had celiac disease. Celiac disease is a condition in which the small intestine (duodenum) is hypersensitive to gluten which leads to digestive difficulties. He found that these children’s condition greatly improved once gluten (wheat, barley and rye) was removed from the diet.

What happens in celiac disease is that gluten coats the little absorptive villi of the gut. This brings about an immune response and causes the destruction of the villi. This part of the bowel is responsible for absorbing calcium, iron, iodine, B vitamins, Vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, boron, chromium, zinc and many more.  This is why people who are allergic to gluten will also present deficiencies of these substances of which absorption is affected. Again please remember that magnesium and calcium and zinc have a calming effect on the brain and deficiency will lead to an increase in seizures in people suffering from epilepsy.

The fact that MSG is made from wheat and soya shows us exactly how removing these substances can assist in controlling and possibly eliminating seizures in epilepsy.

All of this evidence proves that we are negatively altering the way the brain functions through our diets.

Any food can be the culprit but wheat, soy, sugar and dairy products are the most common triggers of seizures.

THE IMPORTANCE OF AMINO ACIDS

So we know that several amino acids can also make you hypoglycaemic such as glutamine, Ammonium sulfate, L-cysteine, Titanium dioxide, Sodium nitrite, Sodium benzoate to name but a few, can all produce profound hypoglycaemia which in turn leads to increased seizures in epilepsy.

And we know without doubt that dramatic changes in blood sugar can also produce dramatic changes in the brain and affect our emotions and behaviour also leading to seizures.

There is sufficient evidence of a link between Serotonin levels and epilepsy for me to address this. Serotonin levels are associated with carbohydrate levels and again studies have shown that you can create killer rats by lowering brain serotonin.  Potato crisps are powerfully hypoglycaemic, and has the same effect on the body as sugar, perhaps this could explain why the Irish are so mean, sometimes!

In 1985 Egger & Carter of Feingold Association studied 76 hyperactive children who were placed on a low carbohydrate diet, which also eliminated food dyes.  82% of the children improved and 28% went back to normal, simply by changing their diets. These were children who were very hard to control. You can surely imagine from statistics like these how working with nutrition can help epileptic children.

The highest reaction was to Tartrazine and Sodium benzoate which are very common food additives.  The most commonly reactive foods were soya beans 73%, cow’s milk 64%and chocolate at 59%.

Tryptophan is the amino acid which is converted into serotonin and regulates the brain’s ability to resist aggressive acts as a more calming neurotransmitter and it is the neurotransmitter most connected with depression and suicide and when it gets too low you have high suicide tendencies and high depression and high aggression.

Corn is very low in tryptophan (corn flakes, corn starch, corn flour and so on).  So if you are eating a lot of corn you are limiting your brains ability to produce serotonin and you will no doubt also be suffering from some form of depression and possible suicidal tendencies.

Tyrosine is also an amino acid and is the precursor to epinephrine, norepinephrine which we spoke about earlier as well as dopamine in the brain. Dopamine has to do with motivation and epinephrine and norepinephrine has to do with attention (paying attention) and concentration.

Low levels of tyrosine are also associated with depression and sensitivity to stress so increased tyrosine consumption reduces stress.  Working with epileptic sufferers has made me realise that stress is a major trigger of seizures in epilepsy and this is why a lot of patients are able to tell you when they are about to seize because they can feel it coming on and it is either stress or diet related. Even healthy people who do not suffer from epilepsy can experience a seizure if they are under enough stress.  This is because stress depletes nutrients and aggravates infections and most other imbalances in the nervous system.

THE IMPORTANCEOF VITAMINS AND MINERALS

We have already looked at the importance of vitamin D but let us look closer at the role of vitamins in nutrition.

Niacin (Vitamin B3) forms nicotinamide adenine dinucleaotide (NAD) in the body.  Deficiencies of Niacin result in the condition known as Pellagra and psychiatric symptoms are very common in this condition.  Pellagra is commonly described as the “the four D’s”

Diarrhoea – Dermatitis – Dementia - Death.

Niacin deficiency is increasingly being associated with psychiatric conditions and there is even a niacin-responsive schizophrenia which has been labelled. So we can clearly see that niacin deficiency leads to damaged brain cells and ii believe that if we had to treat vitamin deficiencies in epileptic patients we would start to see a remarkable improvement in seizure control.

When you increase niacin intake the schizophrenia goes away simply by changing the diet. Vitamins C, D, E, K, A, B and the carotenoids are associated with behaviour and brain function. Deficiencies result in Beriberi, insomnia, depression, memory failure, chronic fatigue and personality changes. All of these can lead to increased seizures in epileptic patients.

If you eat a lot of carbohydrates it depletes your vitamin B1, and that is how you end up with a thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency, which is also closely related to magnesium deficiencies. We learnt earlier that magnesium has a calming effect on the brain. Magnesium is known as a sedative mineral and so is calcium and zinc.

If we carry out hair mineral tests on epileptic patients we will find that many people with seizure disorders have some degree of deficiency or biologically unavailable calcium and magnesium.

A national nutritional survey of adolescents in the US showed that 60% were deficient in iron, 57% for vitamin A, 43% s for vitamin C, 39% for vitamin B1, 30% for protein and 16% for riboflavin (vitamin B2).

For a first world country this is a lot of deficiencies and these are critical nutrients that operate the brain and control your behaviour, so these are not uncommon problems.

A New York study looked at 1.1 million public school children and found that by giving them just a single multivitamin dose significantly increased their academic performance when sugar was also removed from the diet.

Katherine L Tucker of USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging produced one of the more famous studies in 1990 and found that deficiencies in thiamine (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2) not only impaired neuropsychological performance but also altered EEG patterns in a significant number of adults. So again you can see clearly that vitamin deficiency can lead to brain damage and increased seizures in epilepsy.

CONCLUSION AND FINAL MOTIVATION

The Endocannabinoid System is indeed a very complex system operating throughout our immune, nervous and endocrine systems and all of the body’s organs, tissues and cells. As a ‘recently’ discovered physiological system it is clear that more research and clinical trials is necessary in order to fully understand the potential of the EC System.

Over and above regulating our internal and cellular homeostasis, cannanbinoids also influence a person’s relationship with the external environment.

On a social level, the consumption of cannabinoids clearly changes human behaviour, and often promotes the meditation of sharing, humour, positive vibrations and creativity.

Studies have now revealed that cannabinoids act as neuromodulators in the way in which they regulate brain cells for a variety of physiological processes including motor learning, neuronal and synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, as well as appetite control and pain sensation.

With the fusion of neurogenesis (growth and development of neurons), neuronal plasticity (how experiences reorganize neural pathways in the brain) and motor learning, cannabinoids may very well directly influence a person’s open-mindedness and ability to move beyond the restricting patterns of thought and behaviour patterns from past situations.

In order to cope with our fast changing environment it is essential that mankind reconsider these old patterns.

Environmental toxins like aluminium, mercury, copper, lead, fluoride, MSG, aspartame, pesticides, herbicides, industrial solvents, food dyes and excessive vaccination all lead to interference of brain function and behaviour and therefore quality of life. Recent studies revealed that scientists have even found traces of pesticides on the North Pole, proving that no one on the planet is safe from pesticides and their toxic effects.

Mercury shares the same properties of copper in that they are both excellent electrical conductors, which means they may ‘short-circuit’ the brain to a degree. Both are commonly in excess in the general population and both cause damage to the nervous system. So you can see the potential harm when people suffering from epilepsy are exposed to excess mercury and copper.  It is wise to check your municipal drinking water supply and see what levels are in your water.

Millions of people including myself still have mercury dental fillings and this is one of the reasons why we suffer so with headaches and tend to develop brain tumours. In 2014 when ii was writing the final draft of my dissertation ii had a nervous breakdown which was brought about by the loss of my niece and at the same time they found some growths on my brain.  Immediately ii was blessed with a supply of 80% THC oil and ii must be honest it took me a few weeks to get my dose right because it was a potent medicine, and ii did sleep a lot but after three months my scan was clear. Give Thanks to the Most High!

These mercury fillings which ironically are sometimes called ‘silver fillings’ have been around for 150 years so you can only imagine the severity of mercury poisoning as ii and so many others have personally experienced.

Copper is an essential trace mineral but it is toxic. Copper imbalance is also associated with scarring throughout the body, and with infections. These include fungal, viral and parasitic infections.  This is why copper imbalances can induce seizures in certain epileptic patients. Copper imbalance is very common today and so strongly connected to seizures that it surprises me that more is not written about this.  In my years of research ii have found that it is very easy to get a lot of information but to find truths takes real investigative skills because most of the people writing on the net today can barely speak English and their brains must be tired from copying and pasting so you really do have to dig deep to get quality information.

Copper is also vital to balancing histamine levels in the body.

There is a direct link between histamine and epileptic seizures. We have histamine inside our white blood cells and certain conditions like cardio exercise, stress and certain chemicals can make us release more histamine than is normal.  This is why we blush when we exercise. Most people have histamine reactions which are directly related to gluten. Histamine is found in a lot of products like cheese, tomatoes, lentils (but not chick peas) and some citrus fruits. Histamine imbalances are also directly related to hormonal imbalances and ii recommend a low histamine eating plan as part of the regular diet in patients suffering with epilepsy.

People suffering from epilepsy also have to be very careful not to take supplements which increase histamine for instance fish oil.  Many doctors and care givers will encourage epileptics to consume extra fish oil and often this ends up triggering seizures and this is because fish oil is a histamine booby trap!

Copper imbalance can affect seizures in both men and women.  But women are more prone to this type of seizure activity because women have more copper than men in their bodies.  Before the menstrual cycle, the copper level increases and this has been known to cause seizures in many women around their menstruation time.  So if a woman is experiencing more seizures around this time then it is possible that she may have a copper imbalance.

On the topic of the menstrual cycle, let us look at Oestrogen.

Oestrogen is a hormone produced in abundance by women but less so in men. Oestrogen can be found in meats, dairy products and so many other foods and it is always in birth control pills. So women who have more seizures around their period or at ovulation must not only look at their copper levels but also their hormones because, increased seizures at this time is an indication that the hormones are out of balance. An epileptic specialist will be able to guide you on this and maybe even suggest a dose of extra progesterone at this time as this has been known to work before in controlling seizures at menstruation time.

Soya can cause similar problems like oestrogen which is due to the phyto-oestrogens it contains. Phyto-oestrogens are found in tofu, soy sauce, soy beans, edamame, miso, natto, shovu, tamari, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, TVP, soy milk, soy nuts, soy grits, soy protein, soy protein isolate, soybean paste and curd, sobe, kyodofu, soy sprouts and soy flour.  Soy can also be hidden in salad dressing and sausages and many other products. This is a very broad spectrum of foodstuffs to be affected by the effects of oestrogens which can lead to increased seizures in epilepsy. You must read the small print on all labels to protect yourself and you can be very sure that Thai food contains soya most likely in the sauce so always ask for the sauce on the side.  I have known many epileptics who have had a seizure after eating Thai food and ii believe it is because of the phyto-oestrogens in the soya. The other thing ii have noticed about Thai food is that it contains nutmeg and a lot of patients say that nutmeg is a common food trigger.

You must also investigate oestrogen blocking foods and there are many lists on the internet and many female epileptics swear by this concept and report an increase in the quality of their lives.

Another interesting thing is sulphites and a lot of female patients have reported an increase in seizures if they have too much sulphite; which is found in basically all processed foods and many non-organic foods as well. They are also found in many feminine hygiene products which are bleached with sulphites and this also explains why some women experience more seizures around their period.

Carrageenan is another sulphated product widely used in the food industry as a thickener and stabilizer.  It causes inflammation in the body and can also disturb blood sugar levels which we now know both can lead to seizures in epilepsy.

Phyto-oestrogens also affect the thyroid gland and ii have noticed that a lot of people suffering from epilepsy also have thyroid problems. Soya causes your hormone production to drop as do many types of food like wheat, and this leads to hypothyroidism (low thyroid activity). There is a definite link between seizures and thyroid dysfunction and if you look close enough you will find a dietary solution to control the seizures.

You can research the effects of other minerals like potassium, sodium and manganese and others and you will see that imbalances are directly linked to seizures in epilepsy.  For me personally, the link between nutrition and seizures in undeniable.

It is most important to realise that so many studies of the activity of the Endocannabinoid system have shown to hold therapeutic promise for a wide range of different medical disorders and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, epilepsy, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few.

As more and more research studies are being released through the emerging science of Cannabis Chemistry and Medical Marijuana, one thing is very clear, a fully functional cannabinoid system is essential for health, as all evidence indicates that The EC system and the components of the Cannabis plant both have a very profound effect on the human body.

Research has already shown that tiny small amounts of cannabinoids from Marijuana can stimulate the body to make more endocannabinoids and build more cannabinoid receptors.

This is exactly why so many first-time marijuana users do not feel any effects the first few times they consume but by the third or fourth time, their bodies would have built more cannabinoid receptors and will be ready to respond.

More receptors increase a person's sensitivity to cannabinoids; therefore smaller doses have larger effects, and the individual has an improved baseline of Endocannabinoid activity by consuming just a tiny dose of cannabis on a regular basis.

Scientific research including patient testimonials all indicate that herbal Marijuana has superior medical qualities to synthetic cannabinoids, and it would appear that man simply cannot replicate the purity and potency of herbal Cannabis.

In 1902 Thomas Edison said, "There were never so many able, active minds at work on the problems of disease as now, and all their discoveries are tending toward the simple truth that you can't improve on nature."

Cannabinoid research has proven that this statement still holds true to this day, hence the failure of big pharma industry to successfully patent the Cannabis plant and thus it remains illegal until the day that the pharmaceutical industry is able to synthesise cannabinoids in the absence of the psychoactive components such as THC which ii have already shown you before that a lot of the cannabinoids cannot work in the absence of THC.

Whilst many medical practitioners will cringe at the idea of recommending herbal remedies, let alone smoking as a delivery system for any of them, many doctors today are in fact aware of the medicinal healing properties of Cannabis and everyone should be urged to discuss this very serious matter with their health care practitioners to find the best solution for their personal medical disorders. It is possible for conventional and natural medical practitioners to work together for the overall healing of the people. This is evident in the amount of ‘anonymous’ phone calls ii get from desperate doctors trying to help their patients.

So more and more doctors are beginning to realise the truth about Cannabis, however, they lack the scientific research to adequately administer this medication and as such so much more research is required. It seems certain that pretty soon medical practitioners will be forced to learn about Medical Marijuana from their own patients.

It is understandable how many people may feel that they are quite literally being gazetted right out of their health and so it is obvious that we need to increase pressure on governments. More and more people are starting to demand safe, natural and inexpensive medication that stimulates our bodies’ own natural ability to self- heal and to help our people improve their quality of life.

Stories of American families having to uproot their homes and relocate to states that have ‘legalized’ Medical Marijuana, where their own states have failed, in order to save their children’s lives are hugely heart breaking, not to mention countries like South Africa where millions of  people are suffering from dread diseases and the numbers increase at alarming rates.

There is currently an explosion of scientific research on the therapeutic potential of Cannabis, with no lack of evidence, and in fact more evidence than you can find on some of the most popular remedies of conventional medicine.

Evidence now shows that Marijuana is actually an amazingly tranquil substance that in fact poses no risk of overdose and only a trivial risk of addiction, alike to that of craving coffee or chocolate.

Many experts are now coming to realise that the psychoactive properties of Marijuana are most likely to only be short lived and in fact do not pose any risk of long term brain damage. Remember one of the functions of the EC system is neurogenesis.

Respectfully in my humble reasoning epilepsy and seizures, in most cases are in fact just, a bio-chemical imbalance which may be subtle but due to their nature or location in the body have a very powerful affect on the nervous system especially the brain.

Truly ii believe that this is the reason why so many patients respond so well to nutritional balancing programs, especially when they are consuming coconut infused Cannabis oil. Medical Marijuana is a science which specifically addresses the many causes of seizures as we have discussed before in this paper, and not just the symptoms.

In many cases medication can be reduced and even eliminated provided the patient stays on a balanced diet program and sticks to a maintenance dose of Cannabis oil.

I can only encourage people who suffer from epilepsy and seizures to try their best to lead a healthy lifestyle, avoid stress in any way that you can, avoid any stimulants and to eat very well because diet is the key to controlling seizures and healthy living.

But most important dear patients and parents and loved ones, you must never ever assume that epilepsy has to consume your life because there are many practical solutions and education is the most important thing.  Be Blessed Be Healthy One Love everyone!