Evidence supporting the use of: Cannabis
For the health condition: Epilepsy

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 4

Cannabis, specifically cannabidiol (CBD), has scientific validation for its use in supporting the treatment of certain types of epilepsy. Several well-designed clinical trials have demonstrated that CBD can significantly reduce seizure frequency in patients with rare, severe forms of epilepsy, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Epidiolex, a purified CBD product, as a prescription treatment for these disorders. Meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials have shown that CBD, when used as an adjunct to standard anti-epileptic drugs, can decrease the number of convulsive seizures in some patients who are otherwise treatment-resistant. However, the evidence for the effectiveness of cannabis or CBD in treating other forms of epilepsy is less robust, and the use of whole-plant cannabis containing significant levels of THC remains controversial due to psychoactive side effects and limited data.

The mechanism by which CBD exerts anticonvulsant effects is not fully understood but is believed to involve modulation of neuronal excitability and neurotransmitter release through interaction with various molecular targets in the brain. While CBD is generally well tolerated, side effects such as somnolence, decreased appetite, and gastrointestinal symptoms have been reported. In summary, there is high-quality scientific evidence supporting the use of purified CBD for specific epileptic syndromes, though more research is needed for generalized epilepsy and for other components of cannabis.

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