According to recently conducted experiments, cannabis can be considered
an effective remedy for patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
While at first the symptomatic improvements experienced by patients
with multiple sclerosis who have been administered cannabinoid products
were thought to be determined solely by psychological factors, later
research has revealed that cannabis actually reduces muscular spasms
and stiffness characteristic to multiple sclerosis sufferers. The
benefic effects of cannabis on patients with multiple sclerosis have
been confirmed by short-term and long-term controlled medical studies.
In 2003, a team of researchers from the Peninsula Medical School in
Exeter, UK have made public the results of a series of short-term and
long-term studies on the effects of cannabinoids among patients with
multiple sclerosis. The previously conducted studies involved the
active participation of around 600 patients with advanced-stage
multiple sclerosis. The participants were divided in two distinctive
groups: the first group received cannabinoid compounds in equal doses,
while the second group received placebo medications over a period of 15
weeks. By the end of the experiment, the majority of patients who were
administered cannabinoids experienced considerable symptomatic
improvements, having less muscular pain and being confronted with
milder muscular spasticity (less pronounced muscular spasm). Unlike the
group that received cannabinoid compounds over the entire period of the
study, the control group (patients who received placebo medications)
experienced no improvements in their overall condition.
In order to confirm the relevancy of the findings and to discard any
doubts concerning the efficiency of cannabis in ameliorating the
symptoms of multiple sclerosis, the study was later repeated. The
ulterior study was performed over a period of 12 months, and involved
the participation of the same subjects. However, this time the
participants were divided into 3 distinctive groups instead of 2 as in
the case of the previous experiment. The first group received pills of
D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the active component in cannabis, the
second group received natural cannabis extracts, while the third group
received placebo medications.
At the end of the experiment, patients were carefully evaluated and
examined by a team of physiotherapists and neurologists. The best
results were obtained among the patients belonging to the first study
group, the majority of subjects who have received equal doses of THC
experiencing considerable improvements in their symptoms. The patients
in the second study group experienced slight improvements in their
symptoms, while the patients in the third group felt no changes in
their condition.
Despite the fact these studies clearly suggest that cannabis is an
efficient remedy for multiple sclerosis, medical scientists aren’t
still convinced that cannabinoids can be successfully used in the
treatment of multiple sclerosis. However, after performing additional
studies on the matter and more elaborate research, doctors may consider
to introduce cannabinoid compounds in the treatment of multiple
sclerosis in the near future.
