January 27, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Does Marijuana Help Your MS Symptoms, or Is It an Illusion? A recent question on the MS News Today Facebook page generated some buzz about getting a buzz on to treat your multiple sclerosis (MS). The question was, “What helps you the most to manage your daily life with MS?” Many people with MS said the thing that helped…
June 10, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias Does Medical Marijuana Help the Pain That Comes With MS? Will your doctor approve you to buy medical marijuana (MMJ)? Two of mine will and one won’t. The doctor who won’t, a primary care physician who works within a medical group, told me it’s the group’s policy. The problem, she explained, is that there are no guidelines. How do you…
May 11, 2022 by BioNews Staff Expert Voices: Cannabis use in people with multiple sclerosis In this installment of our āExpert Voicesā series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Thorsten Rudroff, PhD, to answer some of your questions about cannabis use with multiple sclerosis. Rudroff is the director of the Integrative Neurophysiology Laboratory and an associate professor in the Department of Health and Human…
May 9, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Cannabis, Keto Diet, Tysabri, MS Unknowns Cannabis āHighly Effectiveā Against MS Symptoms, Some Users Report I would’ve expected many users to report that cannabis has been highly effective at treating MS symptoms, not just some. But comments about this study on the MS News Today Facebook page indicate that people have mixed results. Even…
May 4, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Cannabis ‘Highly Effective’ Against MS Symptoms, Some Users Report More than half of Canadians with multiple sclerosis (MS) report using cannabis to help manage their symptoms, according to a new study. The study,Ā “Medical cannabis use in Canadians with multiple sclerosis,” was published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Humans have used the cannabis plant for millennia,…
March 28, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: aHSCT, Cannabis, Smell Test, Telemedicine Stem Cell Transplant Gaining Ground as MS Therapy Option This comprehensive look at stem cell transplants by Multiple Sclerosis News Today writer Hawken Miller is one of the best overviews of the possible benefits and dangers and the current status of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) that…
March 23, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Scientists Review State of Cannabis Research in MS Treatment with cannabis-based medications may ease muscle spasms, decrease pain, and aid in sleep for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but more research is needed to evaluate the potential benefits of cannabis use. That is the finding of a team of U.S. researchers who published a review paper,Ā “…
October 15, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ECTRIMS2021 ā Sativex Eases MS Patients’ Spasticity, Spasms in Trials Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13ā15. GoĀ hereĀ to see the latest stories from the conference. Sativex…
July 16, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Using Cannabis to Treat Your MS? A Word of Caution People with MS who are using cannabis take heed: A research letter published in May in JAMA Network Open reports that calls to poison control centers about people intentionally or inadvertently using plant-based or processed cannabis products have been increasing over the past several years. Public health officials are…
June 16, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Stopping Cannabis Aids Cognition in MS, But Not Awareness of Gains People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be entirely aware of the decline in their cognitive abilities with cannabis use, which may explain why many choose to continue with it, a small study in patients who are long-term cannabis users reported. The study, āImpaired awareness: Why people with…
October 9, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Almost Half of US MS Patients Surveyed Report Using Cannabis for Nerve Pain, Sleep In a nationwide survey of cannabis-based therapy use among Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS), almost half of respondents endorsed such products, primarily for nerve-based pain and sleep disturbances, and the perceived benefits for sleep and pain were highly correlated.Ā The reported…
September 23, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Medical Cannabis Lozenges Now Available for MS Patients in Texas People in Texas with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) and other medical conditions now have access to cannabis-infused lozenges, Surterra TexasĀ announced. Under a Texas Compassionate Use Program, cannabis-containing therapies may be prescribed to help treat various neurological and other disorders, includingĀ terminal cancer, spasticity,…
August 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MMJ International Holdings Manufacturing Cannabis-based Investigational Therapies for MS, Huntington’s MMJ International Holdings, in collaboration with a a specialty pharmaceutical solutions company, has begun manufacturing gelatin capsule medicines based on compounds found in cannabis, The company will investigate these in clinical trials as potential treatments forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) andĀ Huntingtonās disease. “As MMJ…
July 14, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Alternative Medicine Popular With MS Patients in US Northwest, Survey Finds Complementary and alternative medicines are increasingly popular amongĀ people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the northwestern United States, a survey found. More than 80% of the 1,000 people who responded to the Oregon Health & Science UniversityĀ (OHSU) survey reported using supplements and exercise to help treat their MS, and…
July 10, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Trial of Cannabis Derivatives in Treating MS Spasticity to Open in Canada The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and its partner, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), have invested CA$1.5 million to open a clinical trialĀ that will investigate the potential of two cannabis derivatives ā cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ā in treatingĀ spasticity (muscle stiffness) and other…
May 11, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD MMJ Can Ship Cannabis Products to US for Clinical Testing, Agencies Say MMJ International HoldingsĀ announced that it has been given clearance to ship its cannabis-based products to the U.S. for use in future clinical trials of potential cannabis-based treatment forĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntingtonās disease. The process was facilitated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement AgencyĀ (DEA), which worked alongside…
March 18, 2020 News by David Melamed, PhD MS Patients Find Cannabis Helpful for Easing Pain, Spasticity, Study Reports About 85% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) usingĀ cannabis find it to be helpful for pain, and 79% find it eases spasticity, a new study reports. The study, “Cannabis use in people with multiple sclerosis and spasticity: A cross-sectional analysis,” was published in…
March 12, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD THC:CBD Oral Spray Sativex Provides Consistent Relief for Treatment-resistant MS Spasticity Sativex (nabiximols), a THC:CBD oral spray, consistently relieves the pain and severity of treatment-resistant spasticityĀ in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a recent study. An analysis of theĀ Sativex as Add-on therapy Vs. further optimizedĀ first-line ANTispasticsĀ (SAVANT) study revealed that Sativex, used in…
December 9, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Atlas Biotechnologies to Fund Research into Cannabis Treatment for MS, Similar Diseases Atlas BiotechnologiesĀ will fund and provide support to three research projects at the University of AlbertaĀ to possibly identify cannabis component(s) that could help people with neurological diseases likeĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The cannabis plant produces hundreds of biological compounds, the best-known being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ā the psychoactive compound primarily…
November 25, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Immunoadsorption, MS Therapies Approval, Cannabis-based Capsules for Study, Pregnancy and MS Immunoadsorption May Be Superior to Plasma Exchange in Treating Steroid-resistant Relapses in MS Steroids may be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis relapses, but they have negative side effects. Many people report a metallic taste, while others find it hard to sleep. And long-term use can affect bone…
November 20, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc MMJ Enters Agreement to Produce Cannabis-based Capsules for Clinical Trials in MS and Huntingtonās MMJ International HoldingsĀ announced that it has entered into an agreement for the production of its proprietary cannabis-based gel capsule ā a product mix of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) ā in compliance with guidelines set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
November 13, 2019 News by Mary Chapman Sativex, Cannabis Extract for MS Spasticity, Now Available to Select Patients in England The cannabis sativa plant extract SativexĀ is a cost-effective therapy for spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) and can be offered to patients in England needing it on at least a monthlong trial basis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said in issuing a final…
October 31, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Medicinal Cannabinoids Not Effective for Mental Disorders, Small Relief on MS Anxiety, Analysis Suggests A joint analysis of 83 studies, involving 3,000 people, concluded that there is “scarce evidence” to say that the use of medicinal cannabinoids ā chemical compounds in the cannabis plant ā is able to improve mental health conditions. However, the use of pharmaceutical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may lead to…
August 14, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD US Agency Asked to OK Cannabinoid Shipments from Canada to Support Studies in MS, MMJ Announces MMJ International Holdings, a pharmaceutical company whose focus is plant-derived cannabis products for therapeutic purposes, has requested permission to ship tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) from Canada to the U.S. to be used in upcoming clinical trials for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntington’s disease. MMJ-001…
August 12, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD NICE and NHS England Oppose Sativex to Treat Spasticity in MS, Urge More Studies of Medical Cannabis A draft guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a U.K. advisory board, and a reviewĀ by Englandās National Health Service (NHS) call for more research into medical cannabis forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ and other conditions. NICE also recommended against prescribingĀ SativexĀ as a treatment for…
April 12, 2019 Columns by John Connor The Drugs Do Work … Better Than My Right Hand Last weekend a mother brought 4,000Ā£ ($5,200 U.S.) of medicinal cannabis from Holland into the U.K. for her daughter with severe epilepsy. It was confiscated by customs. Last year medicinal cannabis was partially legalized in the U.K. when a similar incident happened. Doctors can now issue prescriptions.
March 29, 2019 News by Alberto Molano, PhD $1.5M Earmarked for MS Research on Cannabis in Canada In partnership with the CanadianĀ Institutes of Health Research, theĀ MS Society of CanadaĀ has announced $1.5 million to fund research over five years on the effects of cannabis on multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms and disease progression. Studies have shown that for each 10-degree increase in latitude, patients newly diagnosed…
February 28, 2019 News by Santiago Gisler Axim Improves Delivery of Cannabinoids in Chewing Gums Axim Biotechnologies announced that it has succeeded in microencapsulating cannabinoids (chemical compounds in cannabis) into the companyās patented chewing gums, which are used to treat several disease symptoms, including pain and spasticity associated withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Since the active cannabinoids are degradable in the body, the company needed…
February 14, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein FDA Asked to Place Cannabis-based Therapy for Progressive MS on Fast Track, MMJ Holdings Says A request for a potentialĀ cannabis-based treatmentĀ forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ to be givenĀ Fast Track designation, speeding its development as it readies to enter clinical testing, is now before theĀ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), MMJ International HoldingsĀ announced. MMJ-001, as this lead candidate is known, aims to treat…
February 7, 2019 News by Larry Luxner Medical Marijuana ‘Can Help Everyone,’ Says Director at Maryland Cannabis Facility Warning the reporter accompanying him not to take any pictures, veteran horticulturalist Michael Castleman punches an electronic code and unlocks the door to Room 209, nicknamed the āMother Room.ā Photography is indeed forbidden inside this living vault, which contains 20 phenotypes of cannabis plants thriving under the glare of 25…