Epilepsy and Cannabis

A compound of the cannabis plant called cannabidiol appears effective against some types of epilepsy, such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.

Availability and affordability of cannabinoids for epilepsy treatment across different geographic settings—A survey from the ILAE Plant-Based Therapy Task Force. Vinayan KP, Asadi-Pooya AA, Jyotsna AS, Kumar NN, Elsas S-M, Johannessen Landmark C, et al. Epilepsia. 2025; 00: 1–15.

Trial of Cannabidiol for Drug-Resistant Seizures in the Dravet Syndrome. Devinsky et al. N Engl J Med. 2017 May 25;376(21):2011-2020

Effect of Cannabidiol on Drop Seizures in the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. Devinsky et al. N Engl J Med. 2018 May 17;378(20):1888-1897

Evidence for cannabis and cannabinoids for epilepsy: a systematic review of controlled and observational evidence. Stockings et al. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2018 Jul;89(7):741-753

Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol in Epilepsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Lattanzi et al. Drugs. 2018 Nov;78(17):1791-1804

Medical Marijuana and Epilepsy. Epilepsy Foundation