Siegward-M. Elsas, in Complementary and Alternative Therapies and the Aging Population, 2009

Marijuana

Cannabis sativa is occasionally recommended for the treatment of epilepsy, for example [19]. Gowers reports about its use in the 19th century and prescribed it himself sometimes [23]. The recent conflicting evidence regarding marijuana and epilepsy has been reviewed by Gordon and Devinsky [24]. They report that animal studies show both anticonvulsant and proconvulsant effects of the primary psychoactive constituent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and mild anticonvulsant effects of cannabidiol, the primary nonpsychoactive constituent. Clinical data is inconclusive about the overall usefulness of marijuana for the treatment of epilepsy.

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