Study Indicates Marijuana is Effective in Multiple Sclerosis Relief

Anthony Gucciardi
Natural Society

Elizabeth Renter
NaturalSociety
October 22, 2012

It seems as if for every study on marijuana uses, there is another revelation that it does, in fact, have worthwhile medical applications. Another such study was recently published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, where scientists found that a cannabis extract has positive effects on the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms.

MS can be a debilitating disease, which has a variety of negative symptoms including muscle stiffness and pain and a subsequent difficulty sleeping. According to Medical News Today, about 90% of people diagnosed with MS have muscle pain and stiffness. It’s this pain, paired with the fact that many pharmaceutical solutions simply can’t relieve it without negative side effects, that “a growing number of MS patients have tried out alternative remedies and therapies, including cannabis.”

The study looking at the effects of marijuana on MS symptoms found that those patients who were given tetrahydrocannabinol in a pill form saw far greater improvements than those given a placebo.

In the study, a total of 279 patients were split into two groups: one which received the marijuana extract in pill form and another that received a placebo pill. Those receiving the cannabis extract experienced twice the relief of the placebo group.

“15.7% of those on placebo experienced relief from muscle stiffness, compared to 29.4% on the cannabis extract.”

The cannabis extract helped to relieve pain, reduce muscle spasms, and improve sleep patterns.

This isn’t the first study that has found marijuana beneficial in the treatment of MS. Just last spring, a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that study participants who smoked marijuana found decreased pain, increased mobility, and improved spasticity.

Research has also shown marijuana useful in the treatment of a variety of pain disorders, cancer, migraines, and more. It’s been found to slow canacer tumor growth and actually stop cancer in it’s tracks.

Still, the US government maintains it is a “drug” with no legitimate medical uses, and to this end they keep it classified as a Schedule I substance along with things like heroin. Until it is reclassified at the federal level, federal agencies will continue to have a policy basis for their dispensary raids, as state dispensaries are in violation of federal law.