The Marijuana Component CBD Reduces Epileptic Seizures At Twice The Rate Of Placebo, New Scientific Review Shows

A newly published scientific research review that analyzed six studies on the use of the marijuana component cannabidiol to address treatment-resistant epilepsy finds that patients who took CBD experienced a more than a 40 percent average reduction in seizures.

That’s compared to an average reduction of just under 20 percent in patients who received a placebo.

“This represents a 127% higher response rate for patients who received the intervention,” wrote authors of the study, published this month in the journal Acta Epileptologica.

“The compiled analysis showed that the patients who received cannabidiol experienced a 41.0875% reduction in the total number of seizures,” their report says, “compared to an average reduction of 18.1% in placebo groups.”

“Given these results, it is possible to conclude that the therapeutic response of cannabidiol is worthy of consideration in new protocols and of being added to public healthcare systems for its antiepileptic potential,” it adds.

“The addition of CBD to the treatment regimen for patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy is beneficial in most cases.”

The new review was authored by a team of four researchers from Tiradentes University and Universidade de São Paulo, in Brazil. Of the six studies they analyzed, five compared specific lower-dose and higher-dose CBD treatments.

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] also showed significant efficacy, making it a viable option for inclusion in treatment and guidelines as well.”

Reported side effects were generally mild, with the most frequent being drowsiness, decreased appetite and diarrhea.

“Based on the results from the analyzed studies,” the report says, “it can be concluded that the addition of CBD to the treatment regimen for patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy is beneficial in most cases.”

At the same time, the paper flags what authors described as a “high efficacy rate observed in the placebo group,” which they wrote “suggests that other methods of data collection analysis may be employed.”

One way to explain the benefits observed even the placebo group is patients’ mental state, including stress and emotion.

“Because these were double-blind studies and epilepsy is a debilitating condition that causes great distress to the patient and their families, everyone has a strong desire for improvement,” the review says. “It is even noted that many patients relocated to Ohio, USA, to participate in the study. This level of effort reflects the families’ desire for a better quality of life and may partially explain the notable efficacy observed in the placebo groups.”

Authors of the report wrote that in Brazil, not only is CBD “not yet part of official treatment algorithms,” but further that “all the CBD used in the selected studies and those available in Brazil need to be imported, which further complicates widespread adoption due to cost and availability issues.”

“These barriers highlight the need for discussions on improving accessibility,” they continued, “and conducting local studies to adapt CBD use to the Brazilian context.”

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.

A child with epilepsy, Charlotte Figi, became a figurehead for medical marijuana reform in the U.S. after the popularization of her story of using CBD as a treatment for Dravet syndrome. Figi passed away in 2020.

Separately, a review published late last year in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids found treatment-resistant pediatric epilepsy to be among a number of ailments for which high-CBD, low-THC cannabis improved children’s quality of life.

A separate study by researchers from DePaul University in Chicago drew on industry data to examine what conditions qualify minors for state-legal medical cannabis programs, finding that epilepsy was a more common reason for obtaining a medical marijuana recommendation among minors than it was among young adults, ages 18 to 20.

A 2021 study of epilepsy patients who used nonprescription CBD products, meanwhile, found that they reported a higher quality of life and better sleep than patients who did not take the cannabinoid.

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.

Notably, no significant differences in seizure control were observed in that study between patients who used CBD and those who did not, but authors noted that “both groups included a high number of individuals with no past month seizures.”

“These findings further emphasize the need for controlled research to determine optimal CBD product types, doses, and concomitant use of other medications that maximize possible clinical benefit while minimizing potential risks,” the report said.

4 In 10 Military Veterans With Chronic Pain Report Using Medical Marijuana To Manage Symptoms, New Study Shows