How a young girl with severe epilepsy, her family’s search for treatment and a high-CBD cannabis plant helped transform the medical cannabis conversation.
Charlotte’s Early Years
Charlotte Figi was born in 2006, and her first seizure came when she was just 3 months old.
She was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy.
By age 5, Charlotte was experiencing approximately 300 convulsive seizures every week.
Her family tried multiple medications and a ketogenic diet, but none provided lasting control.
The Search for Another Option
By late 2011, Charlotte’s parents, Matt and Paige Figi, were exploring medical cannabis.
Matt discovered a video featuring another child with Dravet syndrome receiving cannabis treatment.
Paige began researching cannabidiol (CBD) and searching for physicians willing to authorize its use.
The family was looking for an alternative after years of unsuccessful treatments.
R4 Came Before Charlotte’s Web
In 2012, Charlotte initially received oil made from a cannabis variety known as R4, purchased through a Denver dispensary.
That detail is important because Charlotte’s treatment history began before her association with the Stanley brothers.
According to reporting attributed to Ben Owens, the R4 genetics originated in Ohio and were brought to Colorado by Two of The Seed Kompany.
Testing by GreenWerkz reportedly identified unusually high CBD levels in the material.
Owens’ account traces the later Charlotte’s Web story back through that R4 genetic line.
The precise breeding and transfer history deserves careful documentation, particularly when separating the original R4 material from the cannabis products that followed.
From 300 Seizures to Just a Few
Charlotte’s family reported a remarkable response.
Her seizure frequency reportedly fell from approximately 300 convulsive seizures per week to 2 or 3 per month.
A 2014 medical case report by Edward Maa and Paige Figi documented the improvement.
Charlotte also regained abilities such as walking, talking and eating independently.
The improvement was significant, but it was not a cure, and one patient’s response could not establish that the treatment would work equally well for everyone.
The CNN Documentary That Changed the Conversation
In August 2013, neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduced millions of viewers to Charlotte through his documentary Weed.
Her case contributed to Gupta reconsidering his earlier position on medical marijuana.
For many viewers, the documentary offered a different perspective on cannabis.
Instead of focusing on recreational consumption, it showed a family seeking relief for a child with a serious neurological condition.
Charlotte became one of the most recognizable faces of the emerging CBD movement.
Families Began Moving to Colorado
Following the national attention, hundreds of families began seeking access to cannabis-based treatments in Colorado.
Some left jobs, homes and relatives behind.
Charlotte’s story became a symbol for parents who believed their children deserved access to additional treatment options.
It also highlighted the differences between state cannabis laws and the challenges families faced when treatment options were unavailable where they lived.
When CBD Became a Legislative Issue
By 2015, more than a dozen states had adopted limited measures addressing access to CBD.
The Charlotte’s Web Medical Hemp Act was introduced in 2014, although it never became law.
In 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, a purified CBD prescription medicine for seizures associated with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Separately, the 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized qualifying hemp.
Those developments were not direct approvals of the products Charlotte had used, but they reflected a broader shift in how cannabinoids were being discussed, studied and regulated.
Legacy
Charlotte Figi died on April 7, 2020, at just 13 years old.
Colorado subsequently recognized April 7 as Charlotte Figi Day.
Through her family’s advocacy, including work associated with Realm of Caring and Coalition for Access Now, Charlotte became part of a movement that helped change public attitudes toward medical cannabis.
Her story influenced discussions among physicians, researchers, lawmakers and families seeking treatment.
Charlotte’s legacy cannot be measured simply by the size of the CBD industry that followed.
It lives in the larger conversation about medical research, patient access and families who finally had another option to explore.
Sources:
Edward Maa and Paige Figi, “The Case for Medical Marijuana in Epilepsy,” 2014. Medical report documenting Charlotte’s seizure response.
CNN, Weed: Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports, August 11, 2013. Primary documentary coverage of Charlotte and her family.
UCLA Health, “After FDA Approves First Drug Made From Marijuana,” July 2018. Confirms Epidiolex’s original approval.
People, interview with Paige Figi, 2025. Covers Charlotte’s life and her mother’s continued advocacy.
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