Multiple sclerosis, cannabis

Other therapeutic uses of cannabinoid agonists have been reported. The potential of cannabinoids as a treatment for asthma is supported experimentally. A CBi agonist, (i )-methanandamide (21), inhibited nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced airway hyperresponsiveness in vivo [251]. The antipruritic effect of cannabinoids has been reported, the action being mediated by both CBi and CB2 pathways [252]. Treatment with cannabis extract improved urinary tract symptoms of multiple sclerosis patients significantly in an open-label pilot study [253]. 

Consroe P, Musty R, Tillery W and Pertwee RG (1996). The perceived effects of cannabis smoking in patients with multiple sclerosis. Proceedings of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, 7. 

There is much interest in the medical applications of Cannabis sativa L. (marijuana). An oral spray consisting of the marijuana constituents, cannabidiol (CBD,19) and A -mzw-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 20), has been approved recendy in Canada for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), and it is possible that this drug will be approved elsewhere in the near future. ... 

Bladder dysfunction. Two whole-plant extracts of Cannabis sativa were administered to patients with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS) and refractory troublesome lower urinary tract symptoms. The patients... 

Wade. D. T., P. Makela, P. Robson, H. House, and C. Bateman. Do cannabis-based medicinal extracts have general or specific effects on symptoms in multiple sclerosis A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study on 160 patients. Mult Scler 2004 10(4) 434-441. 

O. ]. Wiseman, K. ]. Berkley, and C. ]. Fowler. An open-label pilot study of cannabis-based extracts for bladder dysfunction in advanced multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler 2004 10(4) 425-433. Vaney, C., M. Heinzel-Gutenbrunner,... 

P. Jobin, et al. Efficacy, safety and tolerability of an orally administered cannabis extract in the treatment of spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. 

Luo, J., J. H. Yin, H. Z. Wu, and Q. Wei. Extract from Fructus cannabis activating calcineurin improved learning and memory in mice with chemical drug-induced dysmnesia. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2003 24(11) 1137-1142. Degenhardt, L., W. Hall, and M. Lynskey. Exploring the association between cannabis use and depression. Addiction 2003 98(11) 1493-1504. Zajicek, J., P. Pox, H. Sanders, et al. Cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (CAMS study) multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2003 362(9395) 1517-1526. 

Medical marijuana remains a controversial topic, but synthetic THC, dronabinol, marketed under the trade name Marinol, has been available by prescription since 1986. The dronabinol analog nabilone is another THC prescription drug marketed under the name Cesamet. Marinol and Cesamet, taken as capsules, have Food Drug Administration approval as an antinausea agent and appetite stimulant (for AIDS patients), but they are also prescribed for depression and muscle spasms. In 2005, Canada was the first country to approve Sativex, a cannabis spray that relieves pain in people with multiple sclerosis. 

At present, there is no approved medical use for cannabis in patients with neurological disorders. However, it is illegally used for spasticity and ataxia in patients with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, and for the treatment of trigeminal nerve pain and, to a lesser extent, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Individuals with spinal cord injury have reported a reduction in spasticity after cannabis use. 

The Assyrians apparently used cannabis for neurological diseases. Azallu (an Assyrian term for cannabis used for medicinal purposes) was a drug against poison of all limbs and against arimtu , which was probably a neurological disease of the legs [130], Was one of these two disorders multiple sclerosis We shall, of course, never know. 

Cannabis is one of the oldest and most widely used drugs in the world. In different Western countries the possible therapeutic use of cannabinoids as antiemetics in patients with cancer or in patients with multiple sclerosis has become an issue, because of the prohibition of cannabis, and has polarized opinion about the seriousness of its adverse effects (1,2). 

Of 220 patients with multiple sclerosis in Halifax, Canada 72 (36%) reported ever having used cannabis (56). Ever use of cannabis for medicinal purposes was associated with male sex, the use of tobacco, and recreational use of cannabis. Of the 34 medicinal cannabis users, 10 reported mild, eight moderate and one strong adverse effects none reported severe adverse effects. The most common adverse effects were feeling high (n = 24), drowsiness (20), dry mouth (14), paranoia (3), anxiety (3), and palpitation (3). 

Cannabis has been used to treat many medical conditions, especially those involving pain and inflammation. Many studies with improved designs and larger sample sizes are providing preliminary data of efficacy and safety in conditions such as multiple sclerosis and chronic pain syndromes. 

The effects of oral cannabinoids (dronabinol or Cannabis sativa plant extract) in relieving pain and muscle spasticity have been studied in 16 patients with multiple sclerosis (mean age 46 years, mean duration of disease 15 years) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover... 

A 45-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis had smoked cannabis since 1990 to control pain and muscle... 

Clark AJ, Ware MA, Yazer E, Murray TJ, Lynch ME. Patterns of cannabis use among patients with multiple sclerosis. Neurology 2004 62(11) 2098-100. 

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