Epilepsy patients turning to medicinal cannabis, survey shows
Published on 3/12/17
A recent study published in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior showed that of all the Australian patients with epilepsy, 14% are using medical marijuana to treat their condition. The remarkable part is that 90% of those adult patients and 74% of child patients reported succesful results when trying to manage their epileptic seizures. Patients seeking out medical cannabis are hoping to try this new treatment in hopes of more favorable side effects. Though more research is needed followed by clinical trials, it's undeniable that these patients hold great value in marijuana to treat their epilepsy.
The main reason given for trying cannabis products was to seek a treatment with “more favourable” side-effects compared with standard antiepileptic drugs.
“Despite the limitations of a retrospective online survey, we cannot ignore that a significant proportion of adults and children with epilepsy are using cannabis-based products in Australia, and many are self-reporting considerable benefits to their condition,” Suraeve said.
“More systematic clinical studies are urgently needed to help us better understand the role of cannabinoids in epilepsy,” she said
