HEALTH: Alabama researchers announce positive findings of Cannabidiol study.

After one month of treatment with the oil, which contains traces of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, 68 percent of patients experienced a 25 percent reduction in the frequency of seizures, according to a press release. More than half of them experienced more than a 50 percent reduction in the number of seizures and 9 percent became seizure free over the course of the study.

More than two-thirds of treated patients experienced a decrease of more than 50 percent in seizure severity, according to the release.

“It is encouraging that both frequency and severity of seizures appear to improve in the majority of patients in our study, patients who have limited treatment options,” said Dr. Jerzy P. Szaflarski, professor in the Department of Neurology and director of the UAB Epilepsy Center, in a statement. “Our research adds to the evidence that CBD may reduce frequency of seizures, but we also found that it appears to decrease the severity of seizures, which is a new finding.”

Researchers also found that Cannabidiol oil could improve mood and cognition for some patients suffering from severe epilepsy. However, researchers also found interactions between the oil and common drugs used to treat epilepsy.

The small study showed improvements for many patients, but researchers still want to find out more about Cannabidiol oil’s effectiveness as an epilepsy treatment.

Criminalization put a huge damper on research like this.