Commentary: medical marijuana survey & epilepsy.

The results of the Epilepsia poll on the use of medical marijuana (MMJ) and cannabidiol (CBD) reveal a striking difference in the assessment of the safety and efficacy between epileptologists and patients. In our review, we highlighted the limited evidence supporting MMJ and CBD to treat epilepsy and acknowledged the encouraging preclinical evidence and calling for rigorous research, a view echoed by our colleagues who responded to the Epilepsia survey. However, the enthusiastic acceptance of the efficacy and safety of MMJ and CBD by patients and advocates reminds us that science is a religion held by a small minority. The convenient science creates new technologies and knowledge that does not conflict with our intuition and beliefs, and is readily embraced by society. True science is inconvenient, as it forbids the conversion of powerful beliefs into facts. Most people embrace cultural beliefs tempered by science, and if the belief is strong, science takes a back seat. Experience trumps doubt. Two maxims by Nobel laureates are instructive: