The Cannabidiol Use in the Treatment of Epilepsy

The aim of this study is to gather bibliographic data describing the therapeutic profile of cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychoactive component of the plant Cannabis sativa (marijuana) in the treatment of mental disorders, particularly in refractory epilepsy. The information collected for the composition of this research come from articles, magazines and books dated in the period 1940-2015, with the database SciELO, PubMed, Google Scholar and the Brazilian Association of Epilepsy. Several clinical studies have shown the beneficial effects of CBD against seizures, with total or partial improvement in most of the patients analyzed. In addition, the use of cannabinoid did not show relevant adverse and toxic effects, and its use for a long time does not produce tolerance, nor any sign of addiction or withdrawal. However, important data such as the description of the chemical profile of the drug and the detailed definition of pharmacokinetics are still scarce in the literature, which has prevented the development of new medicines containing the CBD. It can be concluded that CBD is a promising alternative to epileptic patients who do not respond to the treatments available, since it can prevent the occurrence of brain damage and consequently modify the natural history of the disease.