Charlotte's Web: The Strain that Changed the Perception of Medical Cannabis
There are few cannabis strains that can change societal norms and medical expectations the way Charlotte’s Web has.
There are few cannabis strains that can change societal norms and medical expectations the way Charlotte’s Web has.
It was developed expressly for Charlotte Figi, a young girl living in Colorado. At the time Charlotte was 5 years old, and suffered from Dravet syndrome, a rare form of catastrophic epilepsy, experiencing hundreds of grand mal seizures a week. By the age of five, Charlotte had lost her ability to walk, talk and eat. After Charlotte’s family had exhausted all pharmaceutical (non-cannabis) options, she was moved to try cannabis.
The Stanley Brothers, cultivators of cannabis in Colorado were developing a very low THC, high CBD hemp hybrid. This experimental strain reduced Charlotte’s seizures from 300 a week down to only 2-3 per month, in Charlotte’s first dose received in 2012. The Stanley Brothers named the strain Charlotte’s Web. Her miraculous improvement became the subject of the CNN documentary “Weed” in 2014, leading to national conversations regarding cannabis used as medicine.
Charlotte’s Web Weed Strain Information: A Unique Biochemical Profile
Charlotte’s Web is very different than any “regular” cannabis strain because of the unique cannabinoid profile. Charlotte’s Web is generally less than 0.3% THC, low enough that it would not provide any psychoactive intoxication after use and above or equal to 15-17% CBD. Therefore, Charlotte’s Web enables patients to receive therapeutic effects from cannabis like Medical Cannnabis without any intoxication, and is established as not only a suitable strain for pediatric patients, but seniors, or even adults who want to use cannabis, but not become impaired.
The strain’s terpene profile includes myrcene, bisabolol, and caryophyllene, which lend subtle pine and citrus flavors. Collectively, these terpenes may provide additional anti-inflammatory properties and anxiolytic properties through every other potential action of cannabis through the entourage effect. The terpenes interact with cannabinoids collectively without isolated CBD effects.
Medically, Charlotte’s Web is primarily somatic and has less cerebral effects to consider. Users generally describe an output of mild relaxation without any cognitive distortion, mild pain relief and less inflammation, and the greatest effects come from repetitive use instead of immediate effects, as in the case of neurological manifestations.
Research has indicated potential benefits for:
- Epilepsy and seizure disorders (most well documented)
- Anxiety and stress without sedation.
- Inflammatory conditions including arthritis.
- Sleep enhancement without sedation.
- Neuropathic pain.
The most significant legacy of Charlotte’s Web is that it legally influenced a number of changes. Charlotte’s Web was such a success with treating the APR (Pediatric Epilepsy), and with that testimony collectively affected a number of Statutes about CBD, while also impacting the 2018 Farm Bill as the reason to legalize hemp on a federal level, including a number of CBD platforms enforcing rules on a state by state basis, where CBD derived hemp can be produced irrespective of state laws that govern cannabis itself.
Charlotte’s Web is more than just cannabis with medical application. Charlotte’s Web represents that instant when the facts, or evidence base science and the human touch of compassion and empathy began to transcend the decades of negative cannabis discourse or stigma and began to create change, opening up a world of possibilities for innate and uncomplicated healing options within plant medicine.