Medical Cannabis for Epilepsy

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological seizure disorder that affects the nervous system and can be treated with medical marijuana. Epilepsy, commonly referred to as seizure disorder, occurs when nerve cell activity is abnormal and causes seizures. Patients who have epilepsy may have the diagnosis due to brain injuries or a genetic disorder. The seizure disorder affects all ages, with 3.4 million cases in the US, and 470,000 of those cases are children with epilepsy.

Epilepsy is usually diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures that were not caused by some known medical condition. Symptoms include a state of confusion, staring into space, uncontrollable jerking of limbs, losing consciousness, and anxiety.

Can Medical Marijuana be Used for Epilepsy?

Many institutions recognize that cannabis for epilepsy has been found to reduce and alleviate associated symptoms. Epileptic patients who have used medical marijuana report a reduction in headaches as well as decreased seizure frequency when replacing their conventional medication with cannabis. Epileptic seizures can be relieved by some of the cannabinoid compounds contained in medical marijuana. In fact, Medical marijuana for epilepsy has been shown to help relieve symptoms in clinical studies. Cannabis oil for epilepsy has also been studied for its potential to reduce seizure frequency and improve the quality of life for patients. Today, epilepsy is one of the only medical conditions for which medical marijuana has been approved for both adults and individuals under the age of 18.

Best Medical Marijuana for Epilepsy

The best marijuana strains for epilepsy patients are high in cannabidiol (CBD), as it will help treat symptoms of epilepsy more than others. Cannabis studies have shown that parents of children with epilepsy may find that CBD helps lessen the frequency of seizures and also treat the associated symptoms. It’s important to understand that pure CBD has been studied to help control epilepsy seizures for both children and young adults, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) should be as low as possible as its psychoactive properties have been shown to make the symptoms associated with seizures worse.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card for Epilepsy

As an epileptic patient in the state of Illinois, you are able to apply for a medical marijuana card which allows you to purchase medical cannabis for epilepsy from any licensed Illinois marijuana dispensary.

**Consult a medical professional before using medical marijuana for epilepsy. This information is not meant to be medical advice for patients with seizure disorders.