Pubdate: Fri, 04 Dec 2009
Source: Palm Beach Post, The (FL)
Copyright: 2009 The Palm Beach Post
Contact:  http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/333
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

REVIEW FINDS MARIJUANA MAY HELP MS PATIENTS

Cancer patients, glaucoma patients and others can  benefit from
medical marijuana, and now a new analysis  shows that it can help
multiple sclerosis (MS) patients  find relief from the muscle spasms
that are the  hallmark of the debilitating autoimmune disease.

"The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in MS  appears to be
comprehensive, and should be given  considerable attention," said lead
researcher Dr.  Shaheen Lakhan, executive director of the Global
Neuroscience Initiative Foundation.

"Spasticity, an involuntary increase in muscle tone or  rapid muscle
contractions, is one of the more common  and distressing symptoms of
MS," the researchers noted  in their review. "Medicinal treatment may
reduce  spasticity, but may also be ineffective, difficult to  obtain
or associated with intolerable side effects,"  they added.

"We found evidence that cannabis plant extracts may  provide
therapeutic benefit for MS spasticity  symptoms," Lakhan said.

Although some objective measures showed improvement,  there were no
significant changes in after-treatment  assessments, Lakhan said.
"However, subjective  assessment of symptom relief did often show
significant  improvement post-treatment," he added.

For the study, Lakhan and his colleague Marie Rowland  reviewed six
studies where marijuana was used by MS  patients. Five of the trials
showed that marijuana  reduced spasms and improved mobility, according
to the  report published Dec. 3 in the online journal BMC  Neurology.

Specifically, the studies evaluated the cannabis  extracts
delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and  cannabidiol (CBD). These
studies found that both THC  and CBD extracts may provide therapeutic
benefit for MS  spasticity symptoms, Lakhan said.

Although there was a benefit from using marijuana there  were also
side effects, such as intoxication. This  varied depending on the
amount of marijuana needed to  effectively limit spasms, but side
effects were also  seen in the placebo groups, Lakhan and Rowland noted.

The careful monitoring of symptom relief and side  effects is critical
in reaching an individual's optimal  dose, Lakhan said. "Moreover,
there is evidence that  cannabinoids may provide neuroprotective and
anti-inflammatory benefits in MS," he added.

"Considering the distress and limitations spasticity  brings to
individuals with MS, it would be important to  carefully weigh the
potential for side effects with the  potential for symptom relief,
especially in view of the  relief reported in subjective assessment,"
Lakhan said.

Dr. Moses Rodriguez, a professor of neurology and  immunology at the
Mayo Clinic, said that "the idea of  using cannabis to treat MS has
been around for a long  time."

Rodriguez noted that the effects of using marijuana  have been mixed.
"It has been difficult to know whether  the effect has been just a
general well-being or  whether it has a direct effect on muscle fibers
and  spasticity," he said.

If drugs could be developed that take away the  intoxicating effects
of marijuana, it could have a  direct effect on spasms without the
high, Rodriguez  said.

The Obama administration announced in October that it  will no longer
prosecute medical marijuana users or  suppliers, provided they obey
the laws of states that  allow use of the drug for medicinal purposes.

Rodriguez said he is often asked by his MS patients  about whether
there is a benefit to using marijuana.

"What I tell my patients," he said, "is if they want to  try it they
should try it. They should understand that  there is a potential for
it to be habit-forming and  there may be a potential that they are
fooling  themselves."

Patricia A. O'Looney, vice president of biomedical  research at the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society,  said the society has studied
this issue and does not  think enough is known to recommend that MS
patients use  marijuana.

"Because the studies to date do not demonstrate a clear  benefit
compared to existing therapy, and issues of  side effects and
long-term effects are not clear, the  recommendation is that it should
not be recommended at  this time," she said.

Another expert, Dr. William Sheremata, director of the  Multiple
Sclerosis Center at the University of Miami  School of Medicine, also
doesn't think MS patients  necessarily benefit from marijuana use.

Sheremata noted that the objective measures in the  study did not show
any benefit from marijuana. "Those  are the only valid measures.
Subjective responses are  subjective; they really don't have much in
the way of  validity," he said. "I am not convinced that the use of
marijuana benefits patients as a whole."

More information

For more information on multiple sclerosis, visit the  National
Multiple Sclerosis Society. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D