Can You Use CBD for Epilepsy? What the Science Says
The use of CBD for epilepsy was the primary factor that originally drew attention to the cannabinoid. More than a decade after use of CBD began in earnest, what do we know about the practical utility of this non-intoxicating cannabinoid for epileptic conditions? The use of CBD for epilepsy has garnered more scientific attention than perhaps any other potential application, providing a fertile framework of data within which to consider this crucial question. In this brief guide, we will discuss some of the most pertinent studies on CBD and epilepsy that have been published recently.
CBD for Epilepsy: Overview
1. Use of CBD for epilepsy has only been further substantiated over the ensuing years2. A wide body of both pre-clinical and clinical data now exists from which to draw conclusions on CBD’s efficacy for epileptic conditions
3. CBD has even been approved for epileptic conditions as the pharmaceutical drug Epidiolex
4. Countless epileptic patients have experienced relief after using CBD
5. The cannabinoid appears to be particularly of use in certain treatment-resistant pediatric epileptic conditions
6. While wide, the body of evidence amassed so far on the usefulness of CBD for epileptic conditions cannot yet be considered comprehensive
Most Recent Research on CBD and Epilepsy
2023: Clinical efficacy and safety of cannabidiol for pediatric refractory epilepsy indications: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Noting that CBD drugs have recently been approved for all three conditions, this wide-ranging review of the available evidence mainly focused on “Dravet syndrome (DS), Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).” Overall, CBD “was found to be more efficacious compared to placebo” in the treatment of all three conditions, leading the researchers to conclude that “CBD is highly efficacious both as standalone and adjunct therapy with clobazam for controlling seizures in DS, LGS, and TSC conditions while limiting side effects.”
2022: Biochemical aspects and therapeutic mechanisms of cannabidiol in epilepsy
Focusing more keenly on the cellular and molecular biology at play, this Brazilian research review found that CBD has “excellent therapeutic properties” and that it shows potential to help in the “anticonvulsant process.” Specifically, this research team found that CBD might improve the lifestyles of patients with epilepsy by allowing them to receive care outside a hospital environment, making the “patient's life more stable,” which can be very important in neurological conditions.
2022: Use of cannabidiol in the treatment of epilepsy
This research review didn’t uncover anything we haven’t already discussed, but new findings are only one part of the scientific process. It’s just as important to recreate and confirm the findings of other scientists, such as occurred in this paper. Based on the available evidence surrounding CBD and epilepsy, the authors found that “CBD may be an effective drug in drug-resistant epilepsy, particularly in Dravet Syndrome, Lennox- Gastaut Syndrome and seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex.” Those three conditions, in particular, appear to be promising targets of CBD therapy.
CBD for Epilepsy Human Trials
2023: Efficacy and tolerance of cannabidiol in the treatment of epilepsy in patients with Rett syndrome
With epilepsy as one of its main symptoms, Rett syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects girls as they develop. This clinical study consisting of 46 patients sought to determine if CBD might be useful in cases of epilepsy associated with Rett syndrome. CBD was determined to reduce seizure frequency in 70% of patients with one patient becoming entirely seizure-free. These results led the researchers to conclude that “CBD appears to have potential therapeutic value for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in Rett syndrome.”
2022: Long-term use of cannabidiol-enriched medical cannabis in a prospective cohort of children with drug-resistant developmental and epileptic encephalopathy
Epileptic encephalopathies are medical cases in which persistent dysfunction of the brain leads to continuous, usually treatment-resistant seizures. This clinical study consisting of 59 participants spanned from 2018 to 2020 sought to determine if CBD might be able to help children with epileptic encephalopathies. The results were impressive: 78% of children experienced seizure frequency reductions of over 50%, 47.5% experienced more than a 75% decrease, and 11.9% of patients were entirely seizure-free. In the end, the research team concluded that CBD is a “safe, well tolerated, and effective” treatment for epileptic encephalopathies.
2022: The Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Cannabidiol-Enriched Oil in Children With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Consisting of data gathered from 114 patients over a five-year period, this clinical study into using CBD for pediatric epilepsy may be the most exhaustive inquiry conducted to date. The patients surveyed suffered from refractory epilepsy, and 73.3% reported at least some reduction in symptoms over the treatment duration. All 86 patients who continued CBD treatment for at least 1 year showed more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency. This longitudinal evidence caused the facilitators of the study to conclude that CBD “may be an effective and safe long-term treatment for refractory epilepsy.”
Discussion: Should CBD Be Used for Epilepsy?
If CBD had never been used for epilepsy, it is unlikely the cannabinoid would ever have become popular at all. Over the years, more research funding and effort has been poured into unlocking the mysteries of epilepsy and CBD than perhaps any other potential CBD application.
While it’s true that even large groups of highly trained individuals can sometimes go wrong, the usefulness of CBD for epilepsy isn’t only recorded in the annals of scientific literature. Countless thousands of individuals — and especially parents — have come forward with their stories of how CBD has helped them or treasured loved ones overcome epileptic conditions that no other drugs succeeded in treating.
Whatever anyone’s bias for or against CBD might be, any logical person must now seriously consider the possibility that CBD could be an effective epilepsy treatment. Either on its own or in combination with pharmaceutical treatments that have existed for decades, CBD could well be the key to unlocking a future less plagued by epilepsy.
We call upon the scientific community to conduct further research into CBD and epilepsy. We also call upon the international regulatory community to remove any remaining red tape standing in between epileptic patients and a treatment that could — at least in some cases — save their lives.
Sources
1. Talwar, A., Estes, E., Aparasu, R. R., & Reddy, D. S. (2023). Clinical efficacy and safety of cannabidiol for pediatric refractory epilepsy indications: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Experimental Neurology, 359, 114238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114238
2. De Araújo Boleti, A. P., Frihling, B. E. F., Silva, P. S. E., De O Cardoso, P. H., De Moraes, L. F. R. N., Rodrigues, T. a. A., Biembengute, M. E. F., Koolen, H. H. F., & Migliolo, L. (2022). Biochemical aspects and therapeutic mechanisms of cannabidiol in epilepsy. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 132, 1214–1228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.027
3. Zawadzka, M., & Mazurkiewicz-Bełdzińska, M. (2022). Use of cannabidiol in the treatment of epilepsy. Neurologia I Neurochirurgia Polska, 56(1), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.5603/pjnns.a2022.0020
4. Desnous, B., Beretti, T., Muller, N. J., Neveu, J., Villeneuve, N., Lépine, A., Daquin, G., & Milh, M. (2023). Efficacy and tolerance of cannabidiol in the treatment of epilepsy in patients with Rett syndrome. Epilepsia Open. https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.12796
5. Caraballo, R., Reyes, G., Demirdjian, G., Huaman, M., & Gutiérrez, R. (2022). Long-term use of cannabidiol-enriched medical cannabis in a prospective cohort of children with drug-resistant developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Seizure, 95, 56–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2022.01.001
6. Tzadok, M., Hamed, N., Heimer, G., Zohar‐Dayan, E., Rabinowitz, S., & Zeev, B. B. (2022). The Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Cannabidiol-Enriched oil in children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy. Pediatric Neurology, 136, 15–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2022.06.016
