Study: 90% of Adults Who Use Marijuana to Treat Epilepsy Find Success
According to a new Australian study published by the journal Epilepsy Behavior, and published online by the U.S. National Institute of Health, a vast majority of those who use marijuana to treat epilepsy (including parents who administer it to their children) find success in doing so.
For the study; “Epilepsy Action Australia conducted an Australian nationwide online survey seeking opinions on and experiences with the use of cannabis-based products for the treatment of epilepsy.” The survey “consisted of 39 questions assessing demographics, clinical factors, including diagnosis and seizure types, and experiences with and opinions towards cannabis use in epilepsy.”
A total of 976 responses met the inclusion criteria. Results showed that 15% of adults with epilepsy and 13% of parents/guardians of children with epilepsy were currently using, or had previously used, cannabis products to treat epilepsy.
Of those with a history of cannabis product use, “90% of adults and 71% of parents reported success in reducing seizure frequency after commencing cannabis products.”
According to researchers, the main reasons for medicinal cannabis use were “to manage treatment-resistant epilepsy and to obtain a more favorable side-effect profile compared to standard antiepileptic drugs.”
Researchers also found that; “The number of past antiepileptic drugs tried was a significant predictor of medicinal cannabis use in both adults and children with epilepsy.”
The study concludes “This survey provides insight into the use of cannabis products for epilepsy, in particular some of the likely factors influencing use, as well as novel insights into the experiences of and attitudes towards medicinal cannabis in people with epilepsy in the Australian community.”
Click here for the full study.