German Study: Cannabinoids May Effectively Treat Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

German Study: Cannabinoids May Effectively Treat Multiple Sclerosis (MS)


As we know, medical marijuana has been used to treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) for quite some time. In fact, GW Pharmaceuticals’ drug Sativex, which contains a 1:1 ratio of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), is being used to treat the condition in countries throughout Europe.


That being said, cannabinoid treatments have not traditionally been considered a standalone form of therapy for MS. A group of researchers from Neurological Rehabilitation Center Quellenhof in Germany published a study last week in the journal European Neurology that counters this position.


Research Suggests Cannabis May Inhibit Spasticity In MS Patients


Estimated to affect more than 2.3 million people worldwide, mupltiple sclerosis (MS) is an auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system. Specifically, the disease causes an attack on the protective casing of nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.


No cure exists for MS, but treatment is generally focused on managing symptoms to improve each patient’s quality of life. With this in mind, the disease manifests itself differently in each individual and no two cases are exactly alike.


“74.6% of the 276 patients observed showed improvement after one month of treatment.”
With that said, the German research team investigated the effectiveness of cannabinoid treatments as a standalone therapy for multiple sclerorosis (MS) in humans.


They conducted an observational study of MS patients being treated with Sativex with a follow-up period of 3-4 months. According to their results, 74.6% of the 276 patients observed showed improvement after one month of treatment. 55.3% of patients observed had maintained treatment through three months, with as much as a 25% decrease in spasticity.


In conclusion, Dr. Peter Flachenecker, the study’s lead author, says the following: “Real-life data confirm nabiximols (Sativex) as an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for resistant multiple sclerosis spasticity in clinical practice.”


It should be noted, however, that 17% of patients reported “adverse effects” to Sativex during the experiment. This was not thoroughly discussed, but it begs the question whether whole-plant cannabis extracts may prove to be and even more effective treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS).

http://www.medicaljane.com/2014/02/17/german-study-cannabinoids-may-effectively-treat-multiple-sclerosis-ms/#

Thanks for posting this, I have a friend who was just last week diagnosed with MS.

I really want him to give cannabinoid medicine a try but he is currently on probation with random drug tests.

I was actually going to start my own thread of this topic, specifically looking for MS patients with experience using high CBD and low THC strains...

i-

have injury induced MS. manual or physical degradation of the nerve casing(spinal). cannabis REALLY helps. without it im gettin to be like micheal j fox. super suck.

hybrids with a good body buzz and LOTS of mental stimulation, workk well.

Hey Murfy, I've heard cannabis helps from dozens of sources but they all seem to be THC rich strains being used, even the ones with high CBD levels still have significant amounts of THC in them.

Have you ever tried a strain high in CBD and super low THC? My Cannatonic pheno tested at 38:1 CBD to THC ratio(only 0.29% THC) from my last harvest, I'm wondering how effective it will be for treating ms...