Cannabis and Multiple Sclerosis

Many people's multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies aren't providing them with the relief they're looking for. For those who have recently been diagnosed, looking for alternatives to conventional therapies, such as cannabis, is also a part of their journey. 

Anecdotal evidence from around the world suggests that many people with MS are already using cannabis to help alleviate some of the symptoms of MS. In the following article, we’ll take a look at some of the ways that people with MS are using cannabis and how it could help them.

As part of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, we’re looking at different ways that a natural compound such as cannabis could potentially help cannabis. Worldwide there is a global movement away from prescription opioid-based medications and towards finding natural solutions. 

How Cannabis Might Help

MS is a disease that attacks your nerves, spinal cord, and brain. Inside the cannabis plant are cannabinoids such as CBD and THC, which can affect both your body and your mind. Various scientific studies have looked at cannabis’ potential ability to help ease both muscle stiffness and also muscle spams that are common in MS. 

Another area that researchers are looking at is how cannabis could help people get a better night’s sleep. This could be particularly useful for people with fibromyalgia, MS, and many other medical conditions. 

Where Can You Get Cannabis?

Cannabis is 100% legal in Canada and legal in various states across the United States. In Canada, you can choose to get cannabis via your doctor and a medical marijuana prescription or purchase it recreationally. There are various cannabis products to choose from, and the versatility of cannabis means you have different delivery methods to choose from, including smoking cannabis, vaping cannabis, cannabis edibles, and even cannabis topicals and creams. 

How to Use Cannabis 

The most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The second most abundant cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD). Unlike THC, CBD is non-psychotropic and won’t get you high. The ‘euphoric high’ you get when you use cannabis products is because of THC. 

As we spoke about above, cannabis is extremely versatile and offers several different delivery methods, each with its own pros and cons. For example, smoking and vaping cannabis are extremely fast-acting, but the effects will only last for several hours. Cannabinoids are absorbed into the bloodstream via the thin tissue in the lungs. 

On the other hand, when you take cannabis edibles, they pass through the digestive system before being broken down by the body into smaller pieces and making their way into your bloodstream. The process is much slower, but the effects will last 2-3 times as long as vaping or smoking. It’s also much more discreet. 

Cannabis and MS – Conclusion 

We still have a long way to go before we can discover a cure for MS, but researchers around the world haven’t given up, and there are hundreds of different studies being done every day to help cure this terrible disease. 

Research into cannabis and how it could potentially help people with MS alleviate their symptoms look very promising. Still, more clinical trials are needed before we can make any definitive claims about cannabis. 

If you are open to trying alternative ways to relieve your MS symptoms, then speak to your doctor or healthcare provider about cannabis. If you’re currently undergoing treatment for MS, always speak to your doctor before ceasing, altering, or starting any new medication or before trying cannabis. Cannabis can interfere with the way that your body processes other medications, speeding up or slowing down the rate at which your body metabolizes them.