Cannabis drug cuts seizures in children with severe epilepsy in trial

Doctors say cannabidiol offers hope for thousands with rare condition who have several life-threatening convulsions a day

A new drug derived from cannabis has been shown to reduce the convulsive seizures experienced by children with a severe form of epilepsy by nearly a half - and in a small number, stop them altogether.

Doctors involved in the trials say the drug could change the lives of thousands of children for whom there is little treatment, and might also help children and adults with more common forms of epilepsy.