ONTARIO, CANADA — Patients with epilepsy frequently experiment with cannabis and most report experiencing subjective benefits following their use of the substance, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior.

Canadian researchers surveyed the experiences of over 300 adult patients admitted to an epilepsy monitoring unit over a 14-month period. More than half of the respondents acknowledged having tried cannabis and over a third reported having used it in the past year.

Cannabis use was associated with perceived reductions in seizure frequency, reduced stress, improved sleep and better memory/concentration.

Clinical trial data reports that cannabinoids, in particular cannabidiol (CBD), possess anti-convulsant activity in patients with intractable forms of the disease.