Charlotte's web (cannabis)
Charlotte's Web is a high
cannabidiol (CBD), low
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Cannabis extract marketed as a
dietary supplement under federal law of the United States and
medical cannabis under state laws.
[1][2][3] It is produced by the Stanley brothers in Colorado. It does not induce the
psychoactive "
high" typically associated with recreational marijuana strains that are high In THC.
[4] In September 2014, the Stanleys announced that they would ensure that the product consistently contained less than 0.3% THC.
[5]
Charlotte's Web is named after Charlotte Figi, born October 18, 2006 (age 9), whose story has led to her being described as "the girl who is changing medical marijuana laws across America."
[6] Her parents and physicians say she experienced a reduction of her
epileptic seizures brought on by
Dravet syndrome after her first dose of medical marijuana at five years of age. Her usage of Charlotte's Web was first featured in the 2013
CNN documentary "Weed". Media coverage increased demand for Charlotte's Web and similar products high in CBD, which has been used to treat
epilepsy in toddlers and children.
While anecdotal reports have sparked interest in treatment with
cannabinoids,
[7] there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about their safety or efficacy.
[7][8] Physicians worry that some parents are willing to try treatments before proper research has been conducted, and that they may be disappointed. They are "alarmed by parallels to past
miracle-cure manias later proved false ..." and "... wary of the heightened placebo effect in treatments involving children, when reports of progress depend on the view of parents".
[9] However, due to Cannabis being listed as a
Schedule 1 drug under the
United States Controlled Substances Act, which says it "has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States", legal scientific testing is exceedingly difficult. The nation's research-grade cannabis is controlled by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse, whose mission to curb drug use puts it at odds with the researchers who wish to study it for its therapeutic effects.
[10]