CBD Oil Achieved Seizure Freedom in 19% of Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy Patients
A standardized 24% CBD oil reduced seizures by at least 50% in 73% of treatment-resistant epilepsy patients, with 19% becoming seizure-free over a 40-month follow-up.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 37 patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy of various causes, 7 (19%) became seizure-free and 27 (73%) reported more than 50% seizure reduction at 40-month follow-up. The median achieved CBD dose was 4.2 mg/kg/day. Few significant side effects were reported.
Key Numbers
37 patients; median age 16.1; 19% seizure-free; 73% had >50% improvement; median dose 4.2 mg/kg/day; 60% had epileptic encephalopathy; follow-up 24-72 weeks
How They Did This
Open retrospective study of 37 patients (46% female, median age 16.1 years) with refractory epilepsy receiving add-on therapy with 24% CBD-based oil (sublingual, starting 5-10 mg/kg/day, max 50 mg/kg/day). Follow-up ranged from 24-72 weeks.
Why This Research Matters
While pharmaceutical CBD (Epidiolex) has been studied in RCTs, data on other CBD formulations are sparse. This study provides real-world evidence that standardized CBD oil can help treatment-resistant patients.
The Bigger Picture
Patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy have limited options. This study expands the evidence for CBD beyond pharmaceutical formulations to standardized oil preparations with long follow-up.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Open retrospective design without placebo control or blinding. Small sample size. Seizure frequency based on caregiver reports.
Questions This Raises
- ?How does this CBD oil formulation compare to pharmaceutical-grade CBD (Epidiolex) in efficacy?
- ?Would the 19% seizure-free rate hold in a randomized controlled trial?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 19% seizure-free, 73% had 50%+ reduction
- Evidence Grade:
- Open retrospective study without controls. Provides encouraging real-world data but cannot establish causation.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022
- Original Title:
- An Open Retrospective Study of a Standardized Cannabidiol Based-Oil in Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy.
- Published In:
- Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 7(2), 199-206 (2022)
- Authors:
- Marchese, Francesca(2), Vari, Maria Stella, Balagura, Ganna, Riva, Antonella, Salpietro, Vincenzo, Verrotti, Alberto, Citraro, Rita, Lattanzi, Simona, Minetti, Carlo, Russo, Emilio, Striano, Pasquale
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04038
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How effective was CBD oil for epilepsy?
In this study, 19% of treatment-resistant patients became seizure-free and 73% had at least 50% fewer seizures, using a standardized 24% CBD oil at a median dose of 4.2 mg/kg/day.
What types of epilepsy were treated?
The study included patients with epileptic encephalopathy (60%), focal epilepsy (24%), and generalized epilepsy (16%), all of which had been resistant to previous treatments.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- CBD-oil-quality-guide
- anxiety-medication-after-quitting-weed
- cannabis-chemotherapy-nausea
- cannabis-chronic-pain-research
- cannabis-epilepsy-CBD-Epidiolex
- cbd-anxiety-research-evidence
- cbd-for-weed-withdrawal
- cbd-vs-thc-difference
- medical-benefits-of-cannabis
- quitting-weed-before-surgery
- quitting-weed-medication-interactions
- quitting-weed-pregnancy
- quitting-weed-pregnant
- seniors-older-adults-cannabis-risks-medications
- weed-breastfeeding-THC-breast-milk
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04038APA
Marchese, Francesca; Vari, Maria Stella; Balagura, Ganna; Riva, Antonella; Salpietro, Vincenzo; Verrotti, Alberto; Citraro, Rita; Lattanzi, Simona; Minetti, Carlo; Russo, Emilio; Striano, Pasquale. (2022). An Open Retrospective Study of a Standardized Cannabidiol Based-Oil in Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy.. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 7(2), 199-206. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2019.0082
MLA
Marchese, Francesca, et al. "An Open Retrospective Study of a Standardized Cannabidiol Based-Oil in Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy.." Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2019.0082
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "An Open Retrospective Study of a Standardized Cannabidiol Ba..." RTHC-04038. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/marchese-2022-an-open-retrospective-study
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.