The new scientific review of six studies that examined the cannabidiol component in marijuana to treat treatment-resistant seizures found that CBD users experienced an average 40 percent reduction in seizures.
This is compared with a reduction in average of less than 20 percent for patients receiving a placebo.
This study published this month by Acta Epileptologica shows that patients receiving the treatment had a response rate of 127% greater.
The report states that “the compiled analysis revealed that patients receiving cannabidiol had a reduction of 41.0875% in total seizures compared to an 18.1% reduction on average in placebo groups.”
It adds that “given these results it’s possible to conclude the therapeutic response to cannabidiol deserves consideration for new protocols, and to be added to the public healthcare system because of its antiepileptic potency.”
In most cases, adding CBD to a patient’s treatment plan for pharmacoresistant seizures is a good idea.
The new review was authored by a team of four researchers from Tiradentes University and Universidade de São Paulo, in Brazil. Out of six studies, five were compared CBD dosages.
The higher-dose treatment (20 milligrams of CBD per kilogram of body mass per day) demonstrated “superior seizure control,” the team wrote—12 percent greater, they noted—but pointed out that the “lower dose [10 mg/kg/day] It also proved to be effective, so it is a good option for treatment guidelines.”
The reported side effects are generally mild. Drowsiness and decreased appetite were the most common.
The report states that “based on the results of the analyzed study,” “it is possible to conclude that adding CBD to treatment regimens for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy in the majority of cases is beneficial.”
The paper also notes what the authors describe as “a high efficacy observed in the control group” which, they write “suggests other methods of data analysis could be used.”
Patients’ emotional state and stress can be a factor in explaining the positive effects observed, even among placebo groups.
The review states that “because these studies were double-blind and epilepsy causes severe distress for patients and their families and everyone wants to improve,” It is noted that some patients moved to Ohio in order to take part in the research. The families’ desire to improve their quality of life may partly explain this level of effort.
The report’s authors wrote that CBD is not yet included in official Brazilian treatment algorithms. They also stated that all CBD that was used in selected studies, and that which is available in Brazil must be imported. This complicates the adoption of CBD due to the cost and availability problems.
The authors continued that these barriers “highlight the need for discussion on improving access” as well as “conducting local studies to adjust CBD usage to the Brazilian environment.”
In the U.S., meanwhile, CBD—as the pharmaceutical Epidiolex—is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of certain rare forms of epilepsy.
Charlotte Figi is a young epileptic girl who became a symbol of medical marijuana reforms in the U.S. when her story was widely publicized about how CBD helped treat Dravet’s syndrome. Figi died in 2020.
A review of the medical cannabis and cannabinoids journal published in late 2013 found that high-CBD and low-THC marijuana improved quality of life for children with treatment-resistant epilepsy.
Researchers from DePaul University, Chicago, used industry data in a separate study to determine what conditions qualified minors to participate in state-legal programs for medical cannabis. They found that the most common condition for receiving a recommendation for medical marijuana was epilepsy.
In 2021, an epilepsy study found that patients using nonprescription CBD reported better quality of sleep and a greater sense of well-being than those who didn’t use the product.
That report, published in the peer-reviewed journal Epilepsy & Behavior, also concluded that patients who used CBD products better tolerated epilepsy medications, used fewer prescription medications overall and experienced reduced psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety.
The study found no difference in seizure management between those patients who took CBD or not. But the authors also noted “that both groups contained a significant number of individuals who had no recent seizures.”
The report stated that “These results further highlight the need for controlled studies to determine the optimal CBD products, dosages and concurrent use of other medicines, which maximizes possible clinical benefits while minimising potential risks.”
According to a new study, 4 out of 10 veterans who suffer from chronic pain use medical marijuana as a treatment for their symptoms.