Related: <a title="Does Cannabis Help With Glaucoma?" href="https://weedzly.com/library/cannabis-for-glaucoma">Does Cannabis Help With Glaucoma?</a>
<h2 id="0">Medical Marijuana and Epilepsy&nbsp;</h2>
Epilepsy is a global problem that effects men and women of all ages. When marijuana was first touted to provide relief for patients with epilepsy, everybody wanted to get their hands on it.
Marijuana has been used as an <a href="https://weedzly.com/library/pharmacy-medicines-made-with-cannabis">alternative treatment</a> for chronic pain, inflammation, Alzheimer's disease and even epilepsy for some. The state of Arizona even&nbsp; <a title="states that give Veterans free medical marijuana cards" href="https://weedzly.com/library/arizona-senate-approves-bill-including-free-medical-marijuana-cards-for-veterans">gives Veterans free medical marijuana cards</a>. Studies into the effectiveness of marijuana in treating epilepsy have been going on for years, leading to very hot debates.&nbsp;
According to numerous anecdotal reports, medicinal marijuana is very useful in reducing seizures in patients and helping them with mood disorders.
But what are the findings of the rigorous research and clinical studies done in medicinal marijuana for epilepsy? That's what we'll be talking about.
<h3 id="1">The Reality: Does Medicinal Marijuana Help With Epilepsy?</h3>
Clinical studies into the effectiveness of marijuana in reducing seizures have been going on since the early 70s, and the results are very promising. These studies have found that cannabis is highly effective in controlling severe seizures.
Early research suggests that cannabidiol (CBD), which is the non-psychoactive and non-intoxicating compound in cannabis, may help with epileptic seizures. CBD presents little to no potential side effects to adults and even children.
However, it's important to note that studies and research in this area have been limited due to stringent federal regulations. The good news is that subsequent research continues to back CBDs effectiveness in helping with even the most severe forms of epilepsy that unfortunately do not respond to prescription treatments.
Additionally, many parents with epileptic children swear that CBD is a miracle cure that has improved their lives by significantly reducing seizures frequency.
In 2018, Epidiolex became the first cannabis-based medicine on the US market after the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved it to treat two severe forms of epilepsy disorder (Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome).
<h3 id="2">Studies That Support Medicinal Marijuana Effectiveness for Epilepsy</h3>
Epidiolex was studied in clinical trials that provided enough evidence of its effectiveness to help with epilepsy disease. The FDA subsequently approved this CBD based formulation in 2018.
A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911937/">2016 study</a> into medical marijuana for epilepsy concluded that medical marijuana can be used as an epilepsy control medication for patients whose seizures remain uncontrolled.
In a small <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141208144148.htm">2014 study</a>, epidiolex was administered to 23 epilepsy patients of about 10 years old, who had severe forms of epilepsy with very high seizure patterns.
The study's main findings were that there was a very significant reduction of more than 50% in the seizure frequency of 9 out of 23 patients. A third of the patients who had Dravet syndrome increasingly became more seizure-free.
More<a href="https://www.epilepsy.com/clinical_trials"> clinical trials </a>into medicinal marijuana for epilepsy are underway, and patients and caregivers can only expect even better results. Note that high levels of THC, the psychoactive and intoxicating compound in the cannabis plant, has been reported to increase seizures in patients.
<h3 id="3">How Does Medicinal Marijuana Work For Patients With Epilepsy?</h3>
The cannabis plant contains two naturally occurring and prevalent compounds known as CBD and THC. CBD is the main component in cannabis that is being hypothesized to provide relief to epilepsy patients. CBD contains very minimal to no traces of THC.
When introduced into the body, this compound interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors in the brain, which influences your body's response to pain. Essentially, the <a title="CBD" href="https://weedzly.com/library/cbd-and-thc-whats-the-difference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBD</a> hinders the transmission of pain signals, thus, alleviating the pain resulting from diseases.
How CBD works on the body to reduce seizures is still unclear, but what is clear is that CBD possesses anti-inflammatory and protective properties associated with this effectiveness.
It's also crucial to note that some studies have found that CBD increased seizures in some patients while reducing the seizure frequency in others. Whether these negative effects were experienced because the CBD given had high THC levels or perhaps due to the method used in administering the drug is still unknown.
More research is still needed to prove the effectiveness of CBD and how it works to help patients with epilepsy.
<h3 id="4">Are There Side Effects Of Using Medicinal Marijuana?</h3>
While some people believe that marijuana is perfectly safe since it is a natural plant, researchers warn that side effects may occur.
The side effects of medical marijuana boil down to the method of consumption used. For example, smoking marijuana presents patients with the undesirable effects of smoking on the lungs and hearts.
Medicinal marijuana may also yield side effects when consumed alongside some types of over the counter medicine. To avoid harmful medicinal interactions, we strongly advise that patients first consult their doctors before mixing medicines with cannabis.
Some side effects may include:
<ul>
<li>Fatigue</li>
<li>Diarrhea</li>
<li>Upset stomach</li>
</ul>
Studies show that medicinal marijuana has compounds that work in the body to block and reduce the frequency of seizures in epilepsy patients. However, epilepsy patients must first consult their doctors to recommend the best treatment for their case.