The authors examined 64 adults with drug-resistant epilepsy—when two or more antiseizure drugs haven’t controlled seizures—who were admitted to a specialized inpatient unit where doctors observe seizure activity in real time to determine if medication adjustment or surgery are needed. About one-third of them reported using cannabis recreationally most days, and 90% of these frequent users experienced the convulsive types of seizures most associated with injury and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, often referred to as grand mal or generalized tonic-clonic seizures. In contrast, about half of nonusers did not experience these types of seizures.
Frequent Cannabis Use Tied To More Severe Epilepsy
