Cannabis Can Be Used To Treat Multiple Sclerosis - Experts

Patients suffering multiple sclerosis (MS) may now turn to alternative therapy to address the condition. Going by findings of a new study, there is evidence that cannabis may be useful in the treatment of MS.
The American Association of Neurology, AAN, which disclosed this development, based it on the position of several studies, which claim that cannabis is effective for the treatment of pain and spasticity.
Although there are many anecdotal reports indicating cannabis’ beneficial effects for treatment of MS symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, anxiety and sleep deprivation, they have not been scientifically verified.
This is because clinical trials – where patients are given cannabis – are difficult to do because of how the substance is regulated in America.
Cannabis or marijuana has long been used for hemp fibre, hemp oils, medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber.
MS is a demyelinating disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This damage disrupts the ability of parts of the nervous system to communicate, resulting in a range of signs and symptoms, including physical, mental, and sometimes psychiatric problems.
Specific symptoms can include double vision, blindness in one eye, muscle weakness, trouble with sensation, or trouble with coordination. Cannabis, which is now being used to help MS patients, contains over 100 compounds, but THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol) are believed to have the most medical relevance.
To satisfy the United Nations, UN, Narcotics Convention, some cannabis strains have been bred to produce minimal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent.
It was reported that reported that researchers at Integrative Neurophysiology Laboratory at Colorado State University are studying people with MS in the state who are already using medical cannabis as a treatment to investigate what MS symptoms the drug can effectively treat.
The long-term goal of the trial is to determine whether cannabis can safely and effectively treat MS symptoms. According to the report, the results which have not yet been published, found that 91 respondents (66 per cent) reported that they currently use cannabis, and 56 per cent of the cannabis users reported using either smoked or edible products.
Seventy-eight per cent of the cannabis users also indicated that they reduced or even stopped other medications as a result of their cannabis use.