nornerator

Below is why I think people who consume (smoke, eat, or vaporize) cannabis should NOT take anticonvulsants and vice versa.


Anticonvulsants are prescribed for a number of reasons, most commonly, epilepsy, but also for depression, and migraines.

Epilepsy is a disorder which is characterized by excessive synchronized neuronal activity particularly in the cortical, hippocampal, and thalamocortical networks.

So essentially neural pathways in your brain are activated over and over again which causes neural damage.

The bodys' natural anticonvulsant is the endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoids are synthesized in your brain when neural activity is high. The cannabinoids bind to the CB1 receptor which causes a cascade of biochemical events that essentially stop neurons for firing for a brief period of time allowing the neurons to regenerate.The overall view of the endocannabinoid system is that it mediates the effects of over stimulation, reduces inflammation, and promotes growth of new neurons in response to overstimulation.

So, when you are using cannabis you are setting in motion these same events. THC is a far more potent anti-convulsant than the leading drugs, benzodiazepines with far fewer side effects.

Pharmaceutical anti-convulsants work in ways not yet discovered although it is unlikely they bind to the CB1 receptor. Although many think they act by changing how sodium channels are regulated.

So what I am trying to say is that, you shouldn't be taking two anti-convulsants that work through different mechanisms to lower brain activity.

I have read a few posts about people saying they have had psychotic breakdowns while on anti-convulsants and smoking marijuana.

If you are on an anti-convulsant you should consider NOT smoking marijuana. Similarly if you are smoking marijuana you should NOT take an anti-convulsant.


Cannabinoids are remarkably safe drugs and are incredibly effective at treating acute seizures, far more effective and safer than benzodiazepines.


The opinions stated above have been formed based on the knowledge obtained by the sources below.


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Croxford, J. Ludovic. "Cannabinoids and the immune system: Potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases?." Journal of Neuroimmunology 166(2005): 3-18.

Grant, Igor. "Cannabis and endocannabinoid modulators: Therapeutic promises and challenges." Clinical Neuroscience Research 5(2005): 185-199.

Mechoulam R, Spatz M Endocannabinoids and neuroprotection. Sci STKE 2002;2002(129):RE5

Marchalant, Yannick. "Cannabinoid receptor stimulation is anti-inflammatory and improves memory in old rats." Neurobiology of Aging (2007):

Miriam H. Meisler and Jennifer A. Kearney (2005). "Sodium channel mutations in epilepsy and other neurological disorders". Journal of Clinical Investigation 115 (8): 2010–2017.

Goddard, G.V. (1967). Development of epileptic seizures through brain stimulation at low intensity. Nature, 214, 1020-1021.

Deshpande, Laxmikant. "Endocannabinoids block status epilepticus in cultured hippocampal neurons." European Journal of Pharmacology 558(2007): 52-59.

Taft WC; DeLorenzo RJ (May 1984). "Micromolar-affinity benzodiazepine receptors regulate voltage-sensitive calcium channels in nerve terminal preparations". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 81 (10): 3118-22.

Wallace, Melisa. "Evidence for a physiological role of endocannabinoids in the modulation of seizure threshold and severity." European Journal of Pharmacology 452(2002): 295-301.

Eljaschewitsch , Eva. "The Endocannabinoid anandamide protects neurons during CNS Inflammation by induction of MKP-1 in Microglial cells." Neuron 49(2006): 67-79.

Bisogno, Tiziana. "Short- and long-term plasticity of the endocannabinoid system in neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders." Pharmacological Research 56(2007): 428-442.

Marchalant, Yannick. "Inflammation and aging: Can endocannabinoids help?." Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy (2008): 1-6.

Optiz, Christiane. "Production of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol by endothelial progenitor cells." Federation of European Biochemical Societies 581(2007): 4927-4931.

Marchalant, Yannick. "Anti-Inflammatory property of the cannabinoid agonist win-55212-2 in a rodent model of chronic brain inflammation." Neuroscience 144(2007): 1516-1522.


Panikashvili, David. "The endocannabinoid 2-AG protects the blood-brain barrier after closed head injury and inhibits mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines." Neurobiology of Disease 22(2006): 257-264.