title: Marijuana Use in Epilepsy: The Myth and the Reality.
abstract: Marijuana has been utilized as a medicinal plant to treat a variety of conditions for nearly five millennia. Over the past few years, there has been an unprecedented interest in using cannabis extracts to treat epilepsy, spurred on by a few refractory pediatric cases featured in the media that had an almost miraculous response to cannabidiol-enriched marijuana extracts. This review attempts to answer the most important questions a clinician may have regarding the use of marijuana in epilepsy. First, we review the preclinical and human evidences for the anticonvulsant properties of the different cannabinoids, mainly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Then, we explore the safety data from animal and human studies. Lastly, we attempt to reconcile the controversy regarding physicians' and patients' opinions about whether the available evidence is sufficient to recommend the use of marijuana to treat epilepsy.
authors: Yale Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Yale University, 15 York Street, LCI 7, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA, kamil.detyniecki@yale.edu.
authors: Kamil
authors: K
authors: Detyniecki
authors: Lawrence
authors: L
authors: Hirsch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002188:Cannabis; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D064086:Medical Marijuana / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002186:Cannabinoids; D064086:Medical Marijuana