New Research Shows Cannabis Can Help Epilepsy Patients Become Seizure-Free

A groundbreaking new study from Toronto is offering hope to people living with drug-resistant epilepsy. Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, the research found that 19 patients who had failed to respond to traditional anti-seizure medications experienced complete seizure freedom after starting a treatment regimen using cannabis oils containing both CBD and THC. Even more impressive, five of those patients remained seizure-free for over a year. This kind of long-term seizure control is exceptionally rare in patients who have already tried and failed multiple medications.

The goal of epilepsy treatment is always seizure freedom, not just seizure reduction. Unfortunately, that goal is often out of reach for the nearly one-third of patients diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). In fact, after trying two or more standard medications, the odds of becoming seizure-free drop below 1%. That’s what makes these new results with cannabis-based products so remarkable and so promising.

Most previous studies on cannabis and epilepsy have focused primarily on CBD alone, which has been shown to reduce seizure frequency in some patients. But this new study introduced a formulation containing both CBD and THC. The addition of THC may enhance the therapeutic effects through what researchers call the “entourage effect,” where cannabinoids work synergistically to produce stronger results than they would individually. In this case, the CBD-THC combination appears to have helped patients reach the elusive goal of complete seizure freedom.

Most of the study participants were children, and many had previously experienced dozens or even hundreds of seizures per month. After switching to a carefully monitored cannabis oil protocol, all 19 saw their seizures stop completely for at least three months. Patients also reported improvements in quality of life, and no serious side effects were observed. While many continued taking other medications, three were able to wean off all conventional drugs entirely, another rare outcome in this population.

This isn’t the only study pointing to cannabis as a powerful therapeutic option for epilepsy. Researchers in Thailand recently reported that 101 children with severe epilepsy experienced a 50% or greater reduction in seizures after 12 months on CBD-enriched cannabis oil. That study, published in Pediatric Neurology, confirms that cannabis-based therapies can offer meaningful relief even when used alongside standard treatments.

The ability of cannabis to help patients achieve seizure freedom—something that’s deeply valued by both patients and caregivers—could mark a major shift in how epilepsy is treated. Beyond symptom relief, seizure freedom means improved cognitive function, better emotional health, and greater independence for patients. It also lowers the risks of injury, hospitalization, and even death, all of which are heightened in those with uncontrolled epilepsy. As research continues, cannabis may prove to be one of the most important new tools in epilepsy care.