The use of marijuana and its cannabidiol (CBD) derivatives in epilepsy is a complex issue. Political leaders, medical professionals, patients and families have offered a wide variety of perspectives on this topic. The legal and regulatory issues around access to CBD change almost daily and national media have heightened attention to this issue. The following documents can be used as a resource on current information about CBD and epilepsy.

To further conversation among AES members, in AES Connect, AES is hosting a CBD interest group started by Siddharth Kapoor, M.D. 

Position Statements on Medical Marijuana

• AES position statement
• American Academy of Pediatrics: The Impact of Marijuana Policies on Youth: Clinical, Research, and Legal Update
• AMA position statement
• CURE position statement
• EF position statement 
• AES letter to DEA Administrator
  

AES Press Releases on Medical Marijuana

• New Reports of Epidiolex® Efficacy and Safety Presented at the American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting
• Patient Use of Cannabis in Epilepsy Featured in Three New Studies
• Three Studies Shed New Light on the Effectiveness of Cannabis in Epilepsy

Cannabidiol (CBD) Journal articles

• Report of a parent survey of cannabidiol-enriched cannabis use in pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy.
• Cannabidiol exerts anti-convulsant effects in animal models of temporal lobe and partial seizures.
• Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel blockade by plant cannabinoids does not confer anticonvulsant effects per se.
• Cannabidivarin-rich cannabis extracts are anticonvulsant in mouse and rat via a CB1 receptor-independent mechanism.
• Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife

• The case for medical marijuana in epilepsy, Edward Maa
• Cannabidiol: Pharmacology and potential therapeutic role in epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric disorders, Orrin Devinsky et al.
• The case for assessing cannabidiol in epilepsy, Maria Roberta Cilio
• From the Editors: Cannabidiol and medical marijuana for the treatment of epilepsy
• Marijuana Use: Detrimental to Youth, American College of Pediatricians – October 2014

Clinical Trials

There are several clinical trials with CBD happening throughout the country. To learn more about trials visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

 Other Resources

• FDA issued several warning letters to firms that market unapproved drugs for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of diseases. Some of these firms claim that their products contain cannabidiol (CBD).
• Medical Marijuana in Certain Neurological Disorders, AAN Guideline
• Parental Reporting or Response to Oral Cannabis Extracts as Adjunctive Treatment for Medically Refractory Epilepsy
• Town Hal Questions NIDA
• Town Hall Forum: Advancing Research on Medical Marijuana
• FDA and Marijuana
• States with pending legislation
• States that have legalized medical marijuana
• AAN Systematic review: Efficacy and safety of medical marijuana in selected neurologic disorders Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology
• Medical Marijuana for Epilepsy Treatment - May 8, 2014, Epilepsy Foundation BlogTalkRadio - Hallway Conversations
• NIDA's Role in Providing Marijuana for Research
• NIDA Research on the Therapeutic Benefits of Cannabis and Cannabinoids

Disclaimer: AES is providing this document without representations or warranties of any kind and for information only, and it is not intended to suggest how a specific patient should receive medical treatment. Determination of whether and/or how to use all or any portion of this document is to be made in your sole and absolute discretion. No part of this document constitutes medical advice. As a clinician, your knowledge of the individual patient and judgment about what is appropriate and helpful to them should be used in making clinical decisions.