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Tobacco Hornworm as an Insect Model System for Cannabinoid Pre-clinical Studies
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Published on: December 29, 2021

Cannabinoids for epilepsy.

David Gloss1, Barbara Vickrey

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA. dgloss@ucla.edu

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|June 15, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Current evidence does not support the efficacy of marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD) for epilepsy treatment. While low-quality studies suggest CBD may be safe, more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness and long-term safety in patients.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Marijuana exhibits anti-epileptic properties in animal models.
  • Clinical efficacy of marijuana for epilepsy remains unestablished.
  • Some US states have approved medical marijuana for epilepsy treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of marijuana or its constituents for treating epilepsy.
  • To assess the safety and tolerability of cannabinoid-based treatments in epileptic patients.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for epilepsy treatment.
  • Searched multiple databases including Cochrane, MEDLINE, and ClinicalTrials.gov.
  • Included studies assessing seizure freedom, responder rates, quality of life, and adverse events.

Main Results:

  • Four low-quality RCT reports involving 48 patients using cannabidiol (CBD) were identified.
  • No data on primary outcomes (seizure freedom) were available.
  • CBD was generally well-tolerated, with no reported adverse effects in the limited patient groups.

Conclusions:

  • Insufficient reliable evidence exists to conclude on the efficacy of cannabinoids for epilepsy.
  • Short-term administration of 200-300 mg/day CBD appeared safe in small patient cohorts.
  • Long-term safety and efficacy of CBD for epilepsy require further investigation.