This information is for children and young people with epilepsy. Parents or carers might also find this information helpful.
On this page we talk about who can have cannabis-based anti-seizure meds, the possible side effects and street cannabis.
Use this page as a general guide. Talk to a health professional for more help.
Cannabis-based anti-seizure medication is a type of medicine that contains cannabidiol (CBD). This is a non-psychoactive ingredient. This means that it doesn’t change how you feel in your mind.
Anti-seizure meds that contain CBD will not make you feel ‘high’.
The type of cannabis which makes you feel ‘high’ contains an ingredient called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is a psychoactive ingredient. This means that it affects your mind and changes your mood. THC is not approved in the UK to treat epilepsy. This is because we don’t know how safe it is. Read more about street cannabis below.
CBD helps to reduce seizures in people with certain types of epilepsy. It does this by helping to calm nerves cells in the brain (neurons).
The only type of cannabis-based anti-seizure medication approved in the United Kingdom (UK), is called Epidyolex. This contains cannabidiol (CBD). Remember, this type of CBD is made by pharmacy companies and is for medical use only. It is not the same as CBD products that you can buy online or on the high street. Read more about street cannabis below.
If cannabis-based anti-seizure medication is suitable for you, it must be given to you by a specialist doctor. People who have Epidyolex will normally have it as an add-on treatment alongside their other anti-seizure meds. It comes as a liquid that you swallow, ideally at the same time each day and with food.
Cannabis-based anti-seizure medication may be an option for children and young people with hard-to-treat (complex) epilepsy. Your doctor might talk to you about cannabis-based anti-seizure medication if other meds haven’t worked well at controlling your seizures. For example, if you’ve tried at least two other anti-seizure meds within two years.
A specialist doctor may also recommend cannabis-based anti-seizure medication to people with the following types of epilepsy:
Epidyolex, which contains CBD, can be used by adults, teenagers and children from the age of two. If you have epilepsy and you want to know if cannabis-based anti-seizure medication is an option to you, talk to your doctor.
There is a special service in the UK which doctors use to help them make decisions about people with very hard to treat (complex) epilepsy. It’s called The Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service (RESCAS). It’s a way for your doctor to get advice from expert health professionals about your treatment and care. A bit like getting a ‘second opinion’.
The RESCAS involves specialist health professionals from across the UK, including doctors who work with children with epilepsy. They regularly meet to talk about patients who have epilepsy that is hard to treat (drug-resistant epilepsy). They talk about possible treatment options and decide together what recommendations to make.
Remember, this is an advice service for health professionals. Decisions about your care will still be made between you, your parents or carers, and your normal doctor.
Any neurology centre in the UK can send details about a child or young person's epilepsy to the RESCAS for advice. Talk to your doctor if you’d like to know more about it or if you have any questions.
Like all medicines, cannabis-based anti-seizure medication comes with its own side effects. How you react to cannabis-based medicine will vary from person-to-person. Some of the possible side effects may include:
Side effects may also include feeling high and thinking you can see things that aren’t really there (hallucinations). For some people, they may also think about hurting themselves.
Medicines containing CBD may cause liver damage (hepatotoxicity). Your doctor may ask you to have a blood test to check how well your liver is working if you’re taking Epidyolex.
If you get any of the side effects listed here, tell your doctor straight away. You can also report side effects through the Yellow Card Scheme.
Cannabis-based medicines are not the same as street cannabis. You may hear street cannabis being called skunk, weed or hashish. Street cannabis is illegal and unsafe.
Street cannabis has not been tested and there is no research to show how it works for people with epilepsy. You should never try to use illegal cannabis as an anti-seizure medication.
If you use street cannabis, it’s important to stop. Using street cannabis may increase the number of seizures you have and may also affect how well your anti-seizure meds work. Talk to your doctor if you want help stopping. They will be able to offer you help and support.
It’s also important that your doctor knows if you’re using street cannabis. This is because it may affect your anti-seizure meds and your general health.
You may see some CBD products in shops, cafes and online. CBD foods and supplements include:
Remember, even though these products are sold on the high street, it doesn’t mean they’re safe. CBD products bought online or on the high street are not medicines and should not be used to help treat epilepsy. They will not stop seizures.
The Food Standards Agency does not recommend CBD for children, or people taking any medication, unless it has been prescribed by a doctor. Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, should not use CBD products.
The yellow card reporting scheme is a website for anyone to report problems, including side effects, on medicines.
Information about epilepsy and different tests and scans.
Up-to-date guidelines for children and young people with epilepsy.
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12. Philibert-Rosas S, Brace CJ, Semia S, et al. The role of cannabis in epilepsy illustrated by two case reports. Epilepsy Behav Rep. 2025;32:100804. doi:10.1016/j.ebr.2025.100804
13. Cannabidiol (CBD) | Food Standards Agency. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/cannabidiol-cbd
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Last updated July 2026.
We're currently reviewing this information. The next update will be 2029. If you would like to find out more about how we produce our information, or the sources of evidence we use, please contact us at healthinfo@youngepilepsy.org.uk
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