Can CBD Help Seizures?

Can CBD Help Seizures?

 

Seizures can be terrifying and debilitating, and there are many medications which can help. While various products are available, if and how we can use CBD to help seizures is a topic that is being increasingly discussed in the world of science.

Now, we are required to step with care here, as due to UK law, we are not allowed to promote the plausible positive health benefits of CBD products. 

Luckily, we don’t have to, all we need to do is tell you about the research that has already been carried out, and what it says. 

So, let’s tackle two questions, firstly, can CBD help seizures? This is an important question and one we will delve into shortly. 

Secondly, how does CBD help seizures? Obviously, the answer to this question is somewhat dependent on the answer to the first, so let’s take this walk together and see how we go! 

 

Can CBD Help Seizures?

While cannabis-related products and their possible impact on seizures has been discussed for some time (modern research dates back at least as far as the early 80s, but there is research from 100 years before that), the conversation has gained traction in recent years. 

Interest in CBD has picked up substantially since the Farm Bill in the USA was signed in 2018, allowing for CBD products with a THC content of less than 0.2% to be bought legally throughout the country. 

In the UK, the same regulations apply under EU law, although your guess is as good as ours as to what happens after Brexit, hopefully, we’ll find out before the new leave date of October 31st, but we’ll see. The safe assumption is that CBD regulation will stay the same, so at least that’s something not to be terrified about as the date gets closer (we say that due to it being Hallowe’en and for no other reason, of course.)

With CBD being readily available in both the UK and the USA, an increasing number of people are trying CBD products, both recreationally and to see if they have health benefits. 

Seizures are one of the most common issues that CBD is used for, and this may be partly to do with a 2017 study in the Journal of Epilepsy Research, which suggest hard evidence (their words, not ours) had been found to link cannabinoids to epilepsy treatment. 

This study showed Class 1 evidence for the first time, which is the highest form of scientific evidence, necessitating a fully randomised, controlled trial and subsequent meta-analysis. 

So while we are not currently in a position to say that CBD can help seizures, there are scientific researchers, who are not constrained by the same legalities that we are, who seem more than happy to say that. 

In fact, cannabis is also approved in many countries as a treatment for spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, so some (not us, we can’t) would say that the evidence is very much there. 

We shall leave you to draw your own conclusions on that. 

 

How Does CBD Help Seizures?

In order to understand how CBD is claimed to help seizures, it is first necessary to understand what seizures are. 

Seizures are often caused by epilepsy, a neurological disorder which creates abnormal brain activity, which can result in seizures as well as other symptoms including abnormal behaviour. 

CBD oils release serotonin in the brain, which can reduce stress and anxiety, and create a calmer mood. It is possible that this could counteract the effects of epilepsy, reducing seizures. 

The science would certainly seem to suggest this, although the age-old quote of “further research is necessary” is still being regularly used as a counter-argument. 

 

What Happens Now? 

Remember, we are giving no opinion here, simply reporting the facts, but the safe assumption is that recent research will lead to further research. 

With the studies (linked above) that have been carried out so far suggesting that symptoms of epilepsy can be reduced by CBD products in well over 50% of cases, and that CBD could be treatment-resistant, not being affected by previously taken medications, the likelihood is that further studies will be undertaken in the near future. 

At what point this will be accepted as the “further research necessary” mentioned above remains to be seen, but what we can say for sure, is that things are changing. 

UK law was changed in November 2018 to allow for medical cannabis products to be available on prescription, which again, suggests progress, but obtaining products this way is not as easy as you may assume. 

If you have any questions about the effects of CBD on seizures, feel free to drop a comment below and we’ll be more than happy to chat with you about it.

CBD Ireland? We are here!

 

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Disclaimer:

The products we sell do not have proven health benefits. While research is being carried out, these products are not, and should not, be considered to be medical products.

Any information we give in these articles is taken from scientific research, but should not be considered as a statement of fact. Links and information included in these articles do not reflect the opinion of Plant & Hemp. Any link to scientific studies is for information only, and not intended as a proof of any specific fact, or to validate any specific opinion.

We are simply bringing you the information needed to make an informed decision on what you want to use CBD for, and what you are comfortable using our products for.

CBD products should not be used as a replacement for any prescribed medication, under UK and International Law.

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