The use of cannabinoids in epilepsy as an example: Medical, social, and legal aspects

Abstract

The review provides historical information on the medical use of cannabinoids from antiquity to the present day. It presents the most common indications for their use in neurology, oncology, and psychiatry for the treatment of social diseases, such as epilepsy, pain syndromes, spasticity, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, etc. There are data of the largest-scale and evidencebased studies using cannabinoids to treat epilepsy. The paper depicts the main mechanisms of action of these drugs and gives information about their efficacy and safety, as well as possible adverse events. Limitations and legal aspects are discussed. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that today there have been sufficient positive study results worldwide, indicating the validity of the medical use of cannabinoids. At the same time, experimental and clinical studies are needed to further investigate the mechanisms of action of cannabinoids, the characteristics of their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, efficacy and safety for many severe and disabling diseases.