Purple Day, the international epilepsy awareness day, is today and it encourages people to wear purple and engage in activities to raise awareness about epilepsy. The modern-day cannabis industry was effectively launched when it was determined that medical marijuana was effective at treating the disease.
Going back in time, a 60 Minutes segment on the little girl Charlotte Figi, who suffered from a rare epileptic disease called Dravet Syndrome, took medical marijuana to treat her seizures. The segment featured Dr. Sanjay Gupta and demonstrated the quick effectiveness that a high-CBD and low-THC strain had on the child. Her seizures relented almost immediately. The powerful video footage prompted many legislators to consider medical marijuana as a treatment.
She was treated in Colorado with a strain that was initially called Hippie’s Disappointment because of its low THC level, but was eventually renamed Charlotte’s Web and was grown by the Stanley Brothers. Many families of children with the disease moved to the state for treatment and Colorado became ground zero for the creation of a regulated legal cannabis program.
Cannabis companies emerge
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web (OTC: CWBHF) initially saw big success with its CBD products as the company was a well-respected brand with the connection to the high-profile story. However, massive competition has hurt the company. It recently reported earnings and Charlotte’s Web saw its full-year revenue decline by 21.4% versus 2023. The company reported $49.7 million in annual revenue for 2024, down from $63.2 million in 2023. Harking back to its medical days, the company also told investors it reached a regulatory milestone through its investment in DeFloria, which received FDA clearance in February 2025 to proceed with Phase 2 clinical trials for a botanical pharmaceutical candidate targeting symptoms of autism spectrum disorder.
DeFloria is a collaboration including Charlotte’s Web and Ajna BioSciences PBC, a botanical drug development company, to develop AJA001 as a treatment for irritability associated with autism spectrum disorder. AJA001 employs Charlotte’s Web proprietary full-spectrum cannabidiol (CBD) hemp extract derived from one of its patented cultivars. The company hopes for a botanical solution to the disorder, which would help even more children.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
GW Pharmaceuticals really legitimized medical marijuana with its drug Epidiolex. This drug passed through the stringent FDA study trials and is now a prescription drug that treats rare pediatric epilepsy diseases, Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut. It is often cited as a reason why cannabis should no longer be a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: JAZZ) acquired GW Pharmaceuticals in 2021 in a deal valued at $7.2 billion. Jazz recently reported that its net product sales of Epidiolex/Epidyolex in 2024 were $972.4 million, which represented 25% of its total net product sales for the year.
Tilray
Tiltay may be better known for its beverage products and its exports to Europe, but the company has a dedicated medical division, Tilray Medical, that focuses on medical cannabis research and development. Tilray’s 2:100 has been used off-label for patients as an alternative to Epidiolex. It sells in Canada for C$236 a bottle. The company ships its medical products across the world and it has supported and participated in clinical trials to study the efficacy of medical cannabis in treating epilepsy, including pediatric epilepsy.
Aurora Cannabis
In 2021, Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) launched Bidiol, the first medical cannabis oil in Uruguay that was wholly produced domestically. The oil is authorized by the Ministry of Public Health of Uruguay for the treatment of refractory epilepsy in children and adolescents.
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals
Zynerba produced Zygel, a CBD-based transdermal gel developed for Fragile X syndrome and other neuropsychiatric conditions, including some seizure disorders. The company was acquired by Harmony Biosciences and it continues the work on its synthetic CBD compound.
Looking Ahead
Two national NHS clinical trials are set to begin this year, focusing on the safety and effectiveness of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in adults and children with treatment-resistant epilepsy. It will be led by Professors Finbar O’Callaghan and Helen Cross from University College London (UCL) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). According to Epilepsy Action, these trials aim to provide comprehensive data to address questions posed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) regarding cannabinoid treatments.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals told investors it has initiated a Phase 3 trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Epidiolex in children and adolescents with Epilepsy with Myoclonic-Atonic Seizures (EMAS). This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study aims to assess EMAS-associated seizure frequency over a 14-week treatment period.
A trial in Australia and New Zealand is investigating the use of a cannabidiol transdermal gel for adults with focal epilepsy. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of this novel delivery method for CBD in treating the most common, hard-to-treat epilepsy type in adults.
The American Epilepsy Society reported that an open observational prospective study in Buenos Aires included 55 patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy. Participants began treatment with a purified CBD oil, titrated progressively up to 20 mg/kg/day over six months. The study aims to evaluate the monthly percentage change in seizure frequency.
The cannabis industry was spawned over the desire to help children who faced an unimaginable disease. Without their sacrifice, the industry likely wouldn’t exist in the form that it is in today.
The use of medical marijuana to treat epilepsy spawned the modern cannabis industry of today. Read More
