Charlotte Figi: The Girl Who Started The CBD Boom!
Charlotte Figi, an American girl who suffered from a very catastrophic form of epilepsy known as Dravet Syndrome. Her journey with CBD oil for medical treatment has led the way to the CBD craze we have now. As a matter of fact they even have a cannabis strain named after her, Charlotte's Web. Charlotte passed away on April 7, 2020 when she was only 13 years old and her influence in CBD and cannabis as a whole still remains today.
Charlotte had her first seizure when she was only 3 months old. Dravet syndrome is a rare type of epilepsy that usually starts within the first year of life. People that suffer from this will have frequent seizures and their severity may vary. Dravet syndrome can slow down mental and physical development and oftentimes lead to other health disabilities.
Her final battle was triggered by pneumonia which caused her seizures to return and resulted in respiratory failure and cardiac arrest.
When she was younger her parents turned to medical marijuana to help battle her illness after extensive research on Cannabidiol or CBD. Though CBD has been discovered thousands of years before, CBD lacks the popularity and awareness like the other cannabinoid, THC. Though things have changed now and more research and medical information are coming out on CBD helping cannabidiol to become a much sorted out health supplement today.
In 2012, Charlotte's family met with the Stanley brothers who were breeding a particular strain of medical cannabis that contained a very high amount of CBD and low amount of THC. Later the strain was classified as hemp because of its nature of containing higher amounts of CBD and very low THC.
They started using the oil extracted from the hemp plant when Charlotte was only 5 years old. It proved to work wonders for her condition from having a seizure every 30 minutes to not having one for a week after using the CBD oil extract. She was able to eat, play and build relationships with the community like she has never had before.
Initially she was not expected to survive past 8, but she kept beating the odds and kept making her life more meaningful as time went by.
“Charlotte was ten feet tall and carried the world on her shoulders,” a comment made by the Stanley brothers.
In 2014, the Stanley brothers launched Charlotte's Web CBD company as a tribute to the brave girl who showed the world how CBD can make our lives better.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a chief medical correspondent from CNN included the interview with Charlotte in the documentary, "Weed", which made Charlotte Figi the hero of medical marijuana and CBD movement in an instant.
In 2009, Dr. Sanjay Gupta wrote "Why I Vote No On Pot '' and admitted that he had a change of heart after meeting Charlotte. Gupta commented that “She made me realize that it would not just be a medical failing but a moral failing if this medicine was somehow withheld from people.”
In her last year, Charlotte was believed to have been infected with COVID-19 and even though she bounced back time and time again, in the end she lost the battle.
As someone said in Charlotte's social media page, “Charlotte is no longer suffering. She is seizure-free forever.”
Charlotte was a pioneer in the world of CBD and medical cannabis. A lot of people became curious about her story. She paved a way for people who have been seeking a more non-traditional treatment. Something that can prolong their life. Charlotte help to eliminate the negative stigma of CBD or medical cannabis.
A statement by The Realm of Caring Foundation which is co-founded by Paige Figi, Charlotte's mother:
"Charlotte's story directly impacted thousands of families across the globe and has changed the face of cannabis in many ways. Your work is done Charlotte, the world is changed, and you can now rest knowing that you leave the world a better place."
Thank you Charlotte Figi!
For more information on CBD products from Mellow Organic click on this link https://www.melloworganic.com/
Written by Vivek Roachthavilit
Special thanks to:
CNN
Wikipedia
Cleveland Clinic
Forbes
CBS News