Epilepsy, or seizure disorders, is a common neurological condition that causes patients to suffer from recurring seizures. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 50 million people around the world suffer from epilepsy, which makes it one of the most common neurological disorders around.
Epilepsy affects individuals of all ages, races, and genders - no one is exempt from it, yet the origins of this condition are not yet fully understood. The symptoms of seizures can vary greatly; sometimes, individuals can suddenly lose consciousness during a seizure, while others don’t. However, just having one seizure episode doesn’t mean you’re epileptic – to be classified as epileptic, one must have had at least 2 seizures, for a minimum of 24 hours apart.
Treatment Is Challenging
Epilepsy is one of the more challenging conditions to treat and manage, though scientific research and medicine have made significant strides in the last few years.
Yet, treating and managing epilepsy still isn’t fool-proof: because there are so many different underlying causes, different types of seizures, drug resistance, and medication side effects to contend with, effective treatment can sometimes still feel almost impossible. This is especially true with cases of drug-resistant epilepsy since these cases don’t respond to typical medications, which have served as the first line of defense for epileptic patients.
However, cannabis, especially the rise of cannabidiol (CBD) products, has shown tremendous success in treating epilepsy. Now, studies show that cannabis is also effective for treating drug-resistant epilepsy.
Daily Cannabis Use Effective For Adults With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
The results of a recent study back this up, too: Researchers analyzed 19 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy for 245 days. All the patients were treated at an outpatient neurology clinic at North Toronto Neurology, through their Medical Cannabis Program. All patients were then given authorization to medicate with medical marijuana. The study began with each patient undergoing an educational session as well as medical consultation, so that each patient was evaluated. The treatment was then broken down into 5 phases, starting with the consumption of high-CBD oils, dosages gradually increasing so that patients could find their optimal tolerance and seizure control.
In the case that CBD alone wasn’t effective in treating seizures effectively, the patients could then take delta-9 THC while gradually reducing CBD dosage. Researchers used logs based on reports from the patients in order to assess the effectiveness of the treatments; they also monitored seizure frequencies before, during, and after administration of cannabis oil treatments.
The researchers found that 11 patients were completely free from seizures without having to change their initial cannabis oil protocol. At the same time, 7 more were declared seizure-free just a week after beginning treatment. Meanwhile, four patients needed to consume additional THC on top of CBD to control seizures effectively. In summary, 90% of patients reported improvements in their quality of life.
“The results of the study support prioritizing CBPMs [cannabis-based products for medicinal use] in cases of DRE [drug-resistant epilepsy]. It also supports research into identifying clinical and biological biomarkers for DRE cases that may achieve SF [seizure freedom] under CBPM treatment,” reads the study. “Lastly, the study supports improving the accessibility of CBPMs, using SF as a primary outcome in future CBPM epilepsy trials, and assessing the role of THC in reducing seizures,” concluded the authors.
High CBD Extracts Successfully Reduce Seizures in Adults With Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy
Another study from 2022 conducted out of Tel Aviv, Israel, analyzed the effectiveness of a low THC, high CBD extract among a population of epileptic patients with treatment-resistant focal epilepsy.
They found that 80% of patients who continued treatment for a minimum of 3 months experienced a decrease in seizure frequency of more than 50% by the 12-month mark. “The reduction in seizure frequency is maintained over time,” concluded the study authors. “The CBMF (cannabis-based magistral formulation) is a highly effective and safe therapy to treat adult patients with DRFE (drug-resistant focal epilepsy),” they said.
THC/CBD Combination Safe And Effective For Treating Children With Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy
Meanwhile, another study from London, whose results were published in 2023, revealed that daily administration of cannabis products have been found to be effective in reducing seizures among kids with treatment-resistant epilepsy.
British researchers analyzed the safety and effectiveness of cannabis-based medical products among 35 patients, diagnosed with pediatric epilepsy. All the study’s participants were enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Additionally, all the patients were given authorization from doctors to medicate with cannabis; for the study, they were given either high-CBD oils or a mix of both THC and CBD.
According to the researchers, more than 90% of the participants who administered the combination therapy saw a nearly 50% decrease in seizure frequency within 6 months, while just a third of those who took the CBD-only medication did.
“The results show a promising signal toward the effectiveness of CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] in children with TRE, particularly in the cohort of patients treated with delta-9-THC”, concluded the authors.
Conclusion
Cannabis has clearly demonstrated remarkable potential for treating different types of treatment-resistant epilepsy in both children and adults. The fact that patients have another chance at regaining their quality of life after using cannabis, where conventional medications have failed, makes cannabis an incredible life-saving alternative.
While we can benefit from more research, cannabis-based medications provide hope for better quality of life for the millions of people who suffer from epilepsy. The evidence we have today is already far too compelling to simply ignore, but we’re optimistic that the body of research will only continue ot evolve and eventually, medical marijuana can hopefully become a foundational tool for safely treating epilepsy, especially in cases where pharmaceutical treatments have failed.
CANNABIS AND EPILEPSLY, READ ON...
