Cannabis Users Leave Epilepsy Monitoring Units Sooner With More Events Captured | Research

The takeaway

Cannabis-using patients admitted to epilepsy monitoring units had nearly one day shorter stays and 18% higher event capture rates, but also significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and histories of abuse.

Epileptologists, EMU nursing staff, psychiatrists working with epilepsy patients, and cannabis-using epilepsy patients.

What the researchers found

Cannabis use was associated with 0.9-day shorter length of stay and 18.1% higher event capture rate in the EMU, alongside significantly higher rates of psychosocial comorbidities: 12.6% physical abuse, 11.1% sexual abuse, 10.2% mental abuse, 18.9% higher MDD rates, and 22.1% higher GAD rates.

Why it matters

For epilepsy teams, knowing that cannabis users have shorter stays and more events but complex psychosocial profiles helps tailor monitoring approaches and post-discharge care.

The numbers in context

Cannabis users: -0.9 days LOS; +18.1% event capture; 12.6% physical abuse; 11.1% sexual abuse; 10.2% mental abuse; +18.9% MDD; +22.1% GAD vs. non-users

How the study worked

Retrospective chart review using a REDCap database comparing cannabis users (self-reported or positive urine test) to non-users on EMU outcomes including length of stay, event capture, and psychosocial/psychiatric comorbidities.

What this study cannot tell us

Retrospective single-center design; cannabis use defined broadly (self-report or positive urine); cannot determine if cannabis caused shorter LOS or if confounders explain the association; selection bias; urine testing not universal.

How to read the evidence

Retrospective single-center study providing interesting associations but with significant confounding potential and limited ability to determine causality.

When this study was published

Published 2026; reflects current EMU practice.

The bigger picture

Cannabis use in epilepsy patients exists within a complex context of psychosocial vulnerability, and holistic approaches to epilepsy care must address both seizure management and underlying mental health needs.

Questions still open

Does cannabis withdrawal during EMU stays trigger more events, explaining higher capture rates? Would allowing cannabis use during monitoring change outcomes? Are psychosocial comorbidities driving both cannabis use and seizure patterns?

Common questions

Does cannabis use affect epilepsy monitoring?

Cannabis users had shorter stays (by nearly 1 day) and 18% higher event capture rates in epilepsy monitoring units — possibly because cannabis withdrawal during hospitalization may trigger more seizure events.

Are epilepsy patients who use cannabis different from those who don't?

Yes — cannabis users in this study had significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and histories of physical, sexual, and mental abuse, suggesting cannabis use in epilepsy occurs within a context of greater psychosocial vulnerability.

Read the original research

Influence of cannabis use on length of stay in patients admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit.

Epilepsy & behavior reports, 33, 100846

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Hoerth, Oliver; Aniles-Renova, Ejerzain; Zhang, Nan; Thompson, Emily; Kirlin, Kristin A; Drazkowski, Joseph. (2026). Influence of cannabis use on length of stay in patients admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit.. Epilepsy & behavior reports, 33, 100846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebr.2025.100846