Cannabis use linked to increased seizure severity in epilepsy patients

A study published in the journal ‘Epilepsia’ has identified a concerning association between frequent cannabis use and the worsening of drug-resistant epilepsy. Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that adults with hard-to-treat epilepsy who consume cannabis nearly every day experience more than twice as many convulsive seizures per year compared to non-users.

The research, which examined 64 adults, also noted that frequent users tended to develop resistance to anti-seizure medications more rapidly. Specifically, these patients reached the need for specialized care five years after their first seizure, whereas non-users reached that stage approximately 18 years later.

Among frequent users, 90% experienced generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which are the types most closely linked to injury and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. In contrast, only about half of the non-users experienced these specific seizure types. While the authors emphasize that the study shows an association rather than direct causation, lead author Aaron F. Struck advised that patients using cannabis for anxiety or insomnia should consider more established medical treatments instead.