Futurity · Health

Frequent Cannabis Use Linked to Worsened Epilepsy

New research suggests frequent cannabis use is associated with more severe epilepsy and faster medication resistance in adults with hard-to-treat seizures.

Adults with drug-resistant epilepsy using cannabis daily had over twice the convulsive seizures yearly and became resistant to antiseizure drugs faster than nonusers.

The study examined 64 adults; about one-third reported daily cannabis use. 90% of frequent users had convulsive seizures, versus half of nonusers.

While not establishing causation, the association is concerning. Doctors suggest discussing cannabis use, especially for non-epilepsy issues like insomnia, with patients.

The research was spurred by observations of severe epilepsy in patients with frequent, high-potency cannabis use, lacking other risk factors.

Unlike approved CBD medication, recreational cannabis is often high in THC, which animal studies suggest may worsen seizures.

Frequent users were admitted to monitoring units significantly sooner after their first seizure (5 years vs. 18 years) and discharged on more medications.

A larger study is planned to use objective measures and diverse data to clarify the relationship between cannabis use and epilepsy severity.

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