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Due to the nature of cannabis being listed as a schedule one drug by the federal government, few clinical trials have focused on the effects of medical marijuana on seizures. As such, there is no concrete analysis on the exact relationship between marijuana and seizures. The success that has been attributed to cannabis treating seizures is largely anecdotal, made popular by news outlets such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN special on cannabis.
Without documented evidence in a proper study there is no official treatment or regimen for using marijuana to treat epilepsy or seizures. However, patients report high rates of success from marijuana that is high in cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD. CBD is a less psychoactive cannabinoid, meaning it does not have a “high” or “stoned” effect when used. Informal evidence suggests CBD has several medically beneficent properties including acting as an anticonvulsant, antipsychotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-anxiety.
The two most prevalent methods of taking CBD are through inhalation or ingestion.
For mild seizures, high CBD cannabis strains have an shown an immediate effect when smoked or vaporized. In cases where seizures are more intense or incapacitating, ingesting CBD is more likely to be effective. Ingesting CBD does not work as fast as smoking but it is typically more potent and lasts for a longer period of time (See our blog post Are Medical Marijuana Edibles Right for You).
While there are many different ways to use cannabis to treat epilepsy, most patients report that having a regimented dosing schedule is most beneficial. It’s important to find the method and dose that works best for you and whatever you are treating. For example, Salus carries 15mg coconut oil CBD capsules you can take as needed. The most important thing to remember is self monitoring; not everyone needs the same amount of medicine to treat their specific ailment. Trial and error are a part of finding what works best for you. We must all walk before we run.
If you’re in the Ann Arbor area and interested in learning more about medical marijuana and its many uses, contact Arbors Wellness today to learn more.
