Growth in cannabis oil treatment

CANNABIS oils have been growing in popularity in recent years amid a burgeoning body of research claiming it provides relief for a range of conditions such as arthritis, epilepsy and depression.

Some cannabis oils only contain cannabidiol (CBD) which is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs legislation in Ireland and does not require a ministerial licence. Some believe regular use of CBD helps to prevent Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

In June last year data published in the New England Journal of Medicine found a CBD drug, Epidolex (which was developed by a UK pharmaceutical firm GW Pharmaceuticals), can reduce seizures by more than 40%. In April this year, it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Other cannabis oils contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis that makes users ‘high’. In Ireland, it is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs legislation and a special licence from the Health Minister is required.

So far six licences have been granted in Ireland. The cannabis oil 12-year-old Billy Caldwell takes contains CBD and THC.