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What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder characterised by recurrent seizures. A “seizure” is a paroxysmal transient phenomenon determined by an abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Epilepsy can also cause deficit sensorimotor, cognitive, compromising quality of life and an increased risk of premature death. According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy affects more than 50 million people worldwide. [1]

When was C.B.D oils first used to treat epilepsy?

Way back in 2009 (early days in terms of the story of modern CBD usage) one Colorado resident named Paige Figi was researching the anticonvulsant effects of CBD. Her five year old daughter, Charlotte suffered from a rare epileptic condition called Dravet syndrome. She often experienced upwards of 300 seizures a week. When conventional treatment did nothing to reduce these seizures, Paige turned to the Stanley Brothers, a pair of Christian Americans who gave her their new CBD oil to try. The severity and frequency of Charlottes seizures dropped dramatically. This was a much more significant result than any other that Paige had found for her daughter, Paige quickly became a big advocate for using C.B.D to treat epileptic children. This story became widely known to the public thanks to a CNN documentary on the subject called ‘Weeds’. [2]

How does taking C.B.D effect the nervous system?

Cannabinoid compounds have exhibited antispastic capacity in a range of neurodegenerative disease states that gives further support to the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of epileptic convulsions. THC-related anticonvulsant activity is likely the result of CB1R stimulation. Preclinical evidence suggests that the endogenous cannabinoid system contributes to the regulation of seizure frequency. Mice lacking functional CB1R or mice that have genetic alterations in endogenous cannabinoid system activity which lead to decreased CB1R tone are characterised to be seizure prone. CBD-related anticonvulsant activity is likely due to its 5-HT agonist properties, actions at voltage-gated sodium ion channels, as well as its ability to modulate intracellular calcium storage. [3]

Whilst there is anecdotal & statistical evidence of CBD relieving the intensity & frequency of epilepsy, it is not fully scientifically understood exactly why it is as effective as it is. What we can say on the matter is that taking CBD into the system interacts directly with our endocannabinoid system. This system regulates other systems in the body such as the nervous system and the digestive system. It is most likely this regulation of bodily systems that is responsible for reducing seizures in epileptic individuals.

What clinical trials have tested the effectiveness of C.B.D use for epilepsy?

Several studies confirmed the efficacy of C.B.D in the treatment of epileptic seizures, especially in pediatric age. In 2016, the first results of phase III clinical trials showed beneficial effects of CBD (Epidiolex®; GW Pharmaceutical, Cambridge, UK) in treatment-resistant seizure disorders, including Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndromes (DS).

CBD clinical trials for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Study 1

In the first study, researchers compared the antiseizure effect of 20 milligrams per kilogram (mg/ kg) of Epidolex per day with a placebo.

They found:

• Half of the participants who took Epilolex experienced 44 percent fewer seizures.
•  Half of the participants in the placebo group experienced 22 percent fewer seizures

Study 2

The second study compared the effects of 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg daily doses of Epidolex with a placebo. Both Epidolex groups had significantly fewer seizures than the placebo group. 

• Half the participants who took 20 mg/kg of Epidolex per day experienced 42 percent fewer seizures.
• Half the participants who took 10 mg/kg per day experienced 37 percent fewer seizures.
• Half the participants in the placebo group experienced 17 percent fewer seizures. 

Other research suggests that CBD can help reduce seizures in other conditions such as CDKL deficiency disorder, Aicardi syndrome, Doose syndrome, & DUP15 syndrome.

The Future of Understanding CBD and Epilepsy

Two NHS clinical trials are set to begin in 2025 to analyse the effect CBD has for treating refractory epilepsy. The study will randomly assign CBD as a broad spectrum oil, & CBD as a full spectrum oil (containing small amounts of THC) as well as a placebo group.

Conducting clinical trials with CBD can be a complicated procedure due to the fact cannabis is a controlled substance. For this reason, clinical studies that test the effectiveness of using CBD to treat health conditions are a rather new area of scientific study, and there is often more anecdotal evidence for the effectiveness of C.B.D than there is data from clinical trials. However, treatment of epilepsy is an area that showed great promise from the beginning of commercial C.B.D use. This is also an area which does has had a lot of affirming clinical trials, and the trend of clinical studies confirming the positive effects of C.B.D for treating motor neurone diseases is now always growing.

If you are treating a serious condition and are considering adding CBD to you treatment list, we recommend talking to your healthcare advisor first.

1 Serena Silvestro, 2019. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/ PMC6514832/#sec1-molecules-24-01459

2 Mary Biles, 2020, The CBD Handbook

3 Yuma T Ortiz, 2022, National Library of medicine - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9070567/

4 Daniel Yetman, 2021, Healthline ‘Can CBD oil help with seizures?’ https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-oil-for-seizures