Reviewing 28 Studies On Cannabis-Based Treatments For Multiple Sclerosis

A recent in-depth paper looked at about 28 studies regarding the potential benefits of marijuana and how it could be used to treat the effects of Multiple Sclerosis. 

The paper, published in the journal Biomedicines, takes a thorough look at 28 studies, some on humans, some on mice, and how these groups reacted to marijuana. All studies looked at how cannabis-based therapies could be of use for individuals with M.S. 

The researchers noted that all studies show some positive findings, like how cannabis therapies were often recorded to reduce inflammation, ease spasticity (muscle spasms), and prevent nerves from damage. 

The team also wrote that all findings based on experimental results show that “cannabinoid treatments effectively diminish clinical disease severity, alleviate hindlimb stiffness, facilitate recovery, improve motor function, strengthen anti-inflammatory responses, … and promote remyelination in the [nervous system].”

There was one crucial takeaway that the researchers wrote, defining that our biological makeup is more complex than mice, meaning the promising results within mice might not be the same for humans. 

The remaining human studies (14) mostly used Sativex’s oral spray, nabiximols, containing cannabinoids THC and CBD. This oral spray is not sold in the United States but is throughout the U.K., European Union, and Canada. 

These studies found that cannabis-based therapies and oral spray treatments were effective in treating muscle spasms within 1,582 people with M.S. Furthermore, the average decrease of spasticity occurrence was reduced by 2.8 points on the patient-rated spasticity scale from 0 to 10. 

Most patients saw a decrease in overall pain, that being 573 people with an average decrease in points by 3.42. One study noted that it was able to ease the pain of its patients for six months. 

Finally, sleep was another key takeaway, and 816 participants showed that cannabis treatments were helping them improve their quality of sleep.