What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: CBD, THC, Epilepsy.

Where was this research published?

Published in Epilepsy & behavior : E&B on August 18, 2026.

CBD THC Epilepsy

How patients use medical cannabis alongside seizure medicines

Utilization, tolerability, and perception of medical cannabis use in patients with seizures.

Epilepsy & behavior : E&B • August 18, 2026 • Highly Relevant

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AI Summary

This retrospective study examined how 1,940 people with seizures used medical cannabis products from 2015 to 2023. Among seizure-only patients, most used one product and one administration route at their last visit. Although products varied by year, 86.8% of patients received formulations containing both CBD and THC. Dosing varied widely, and most patients received products with a high CBD-to-THC ratio. Pediatric patients were dispensed higher CBD doses than other age groups, while the median daily CBD dose was about 75% below the maintenance dose recommended for an FDA-approved purified CBD product.

Patients generally viewed medical cannabis as beneficial, but affordability was a concern. Seizure frequency improved in 67.6% of patients over the study period, although the study design cannot establish that cannabis caused the improvement. Most patients who reported taking other medicines—76.2%—were also using at least one antiseizure medication, showing that medical cannabis was commonly used alongside conventional treatment. Older adults reported adverse events more often than younger age groups, highlighting the importance of individualized dosing, monitoring, and discussion of possible interactions with healthcare professionals.

💡 Key Findings

Most seizure-only patients received products containing both CBD and THC: 86.8% were dispensed this type of formulation.

Good

75%

Seizure frequency improved in 67.6% of patients over the study period, but this observational study does not show that medical cannabis caused the improvement.

Good

70%

Medical cannabis was commonly used alongside conventional treatment: 76.2% of patients reporting concomitant medication use were also taking at least one antiseizure medication.

Good

75%

Dosing varied substantially, and the median daily CBD dose was approximately 75% lower than the recommended maintenance dose for an FDA-approved purified CBD product.

Good

70%

Older adults reported adverse events more frequently than other age groups, supporting careful monitoring of tolerability across ages.

Good

65%

📄 Original Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe patterns of use and patient choice of medical cannabis products for the treatment of seizures. Included were individuals certified with seizures and dispensed medical cannabis products between July 1, 2015, and December 31, 2023. Data were abstracted from dispensing records and self-reports at each visit describing cannabis use, seizure frequency, comedications, adverse events, perception of benefit and affordability, regimen (as needed, scheduled use, or mixed), and categorized by age and gender from 1,940 individuals. Most patients were adults (68.4%) and Caucasian (80.5%). Seizure-only patients (N = 1284) were mainly prescribed a single formulation (79.5%) and used one route of administration (87.7%) on the last recorded visit. Over the study timeframe, formulation and route differed by year for those patients with a seizure-only qualifying condition. Interestingly, most patients (86.8%) were dispensed products containing both CBD and THC. There was substantial variability in dispensed doses among seizure-only patients in the program, with CBD doses ranging from 0.001 to 33.1 mg/kg/day and THC doses ranging from 0.002 to 12.6 mg/kg/day in the scheduled dosing subgroup. A majority of patients (87.0%) were dispensed high CBD-to-THC total daily dose ratio and the CBD total daily dose in pediatric patients was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in other age groups. The median daily CBD dose dispensed to patients was 2.5 mg/kg/day (IQR: 3.6) and was approximately 75% lower than the recommended maintenance dose (10 mg/kg/day) of the FDA-approved commercial CBD purified product. A higher percentage of older adults (≥60 years) reported adverse events than other age groups. Seizure frequency improved in 67.6% of patients over the study period. Among patients who reported concomitant medication use at their last visit, 76.2% were taking at least one antiseizure medication in addition to medical cannabis. Overall, patients thought medical cannabis was beneficial, but not that affordable and often chose cannabis products that contained THC.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Epilepsy & behavior : E&B
Published: August 18, 2026
PMID: 42612572
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2026.111230

Authors (6)

Xintian Lyu Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Jeannine M Conway Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Sílvia M Illamola Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Ilo E Leppik Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Susan Park Office of Cannabis Management, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN, USA.
+1 more authors