Study to test cannabis as treatment for epilepsy

SASKATOON — Thirty children from across Canada are being recruited to take part in a new pilot study at the University of Saskatchewan looking at the safety and tolerability of cannabis treatment for childhood epilepsy. Health Canada recently approved the study, which will include children between the ages of one to 10 and involve the University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, McGill University and Université de Montréal. It is scheduled to start in June. University of Saskatchewan pediatric neurologist Dr. Richard Huntsman said he’s already seen quite a few children whose parents have put them on cannabis oil. He said he’s hearing the children are brighter, more interactive and sleeping better, but scientists don’t yet know why.

Doctors will slowly introduce cannabis oil to the children with dosage increments each month, while monitoring for potential side effects of the medication.

They will also look at seizure frequency and severity.

Huntsman admits his cannabis research has met opposition, but he said the trials are necessary as parents become desperate for answers.

“Parents are seeing this, they’re reading about this. It’s all over social media — and a lot of them are trying it. And in some situations, possibly in a dangerous manner.”

The study is entirely funded with support from several organizations, including a sizeable grant from the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.

“We felt it would be best if this wasn’t funded by any drug company, so that removes any potential bias,” Huntsman said.

Alexander Repetski of Thornhill, Ont., said cannabis oil treatments for epilepsy have dramatically improved his daughter’s quality of life. She was diagnosed at three months, and doctors tried nine different traditional medications over 10 months, but none worked.

“She was basically a two-yearold at this point and almost in a vegetative state,” said Repetski. “She was a two-year-old who could not crawl or sit on her own.”

He said he came across cannabis as a possible treatment during his research on her condition. But while doctors eventually agreed to prescribe the drug, they couldn’t offer education on the product.

Two years into the treatment, Repetski said his daughter’s quality of life has improved dramatically.

“She has gone from having 50 seizures a day, to having a very mild seizure a couple of times a year,” he said. “While she still has lots of issues and challenges with cognitive delay, she’s now running, jumping, attends kindergarten with an assistant.”