Interest in cannabis-derived products to help individuals living with epilepsy manage their symptoms has skyrocketed in recent years. Several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated CBD’s therapeutic potential to manage symptoms of certain types of epilepsy — so much so that in June 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, the first plant-derived cannabinoid prescription medicine that is a purified 99% oil-based CBD extract from the cannabis sativa plant.
In addition to an overall reduction in seizures, CBD has been found to reduce adverse effects associated with other anti-seizure medication and demonstrated clinically significant improvements in depression, anxiety, sleep and overall quality of life.