If your multiple sclerosis treatment isn’t giving you the relief you want, or if you’re newly diagnosed with it, you may be curious about how medical marijuana might help you.
Surveys show that many people withMS already use marijuana, and half or more of them would consider it if it were legal or offered proven benefits. So far, the evidence for that is mixed.
How It Might Help
MS is a disease that attacks your brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The marijuana plant, or Cannabis sativa, has dozens of chemicals that can affect your mind and body.
An influential national group of scientific institutions concluded that marijuana, aka cannabis, is proven or highly likely to help ease stiffness and muscle spasms that are common with MS, at least as measured by self-reported symptoms.
Some evidence suggests that marijuana or its active compounds, called cannabinoids, may ease sleep problems in some people with MS, fibromyalgia, and certain other medical conditions.
But evidence is weak that marijuana or cannabinoids:
- Improve muscle tightness, or spasticity, as measured by a doctor
- Help or don’t ease depressive symptoms among people with MS or long-term pain
Where to Get It
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. But more than half the states have legalized cannabis for medical use, with the number doubling in 5 years. If you live in one of those states, your doctor will need to approve or certify you for medical marijuana. That allows you to buy it from a medically endorsed pharmacy or a dispensary.
In addition, 24 states and the District of Columbia, recreational pot is legal or treated as a minor infraction.
How to Use It
The best-known compound in cannabis is THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. It’s what gets you high when you smoke, eat, or vape it.
Another active ingredient is cannabidiol (CBD), which doesn’t make you high. Most states allow limited medical uses of CBD. It most often comes in an oil, which you can rub on painful spots, or as an extract or tincture to put under your tongue. You also can swallow CBD capsules or vape, or inhale it. People sometimes buy CBD online from sellers without a license for medical marijuana.
Some small studies have suggested that CBD may help lower your pain and inflammation. But more research on humans is needed to know if it actually works.
What to Watch For
Whether you smoke pot or dab on CBD oil, you may not always know exactly what you’re using. The FDA doesn’t regulate them, so the THC levels, for example, may vary a lot from one batch to the next. Or you may react very differently to CBD than someone else.
It’s not safe to drive while you’re high on marijuana. Smoking or vaping can irritate your lungs, affect your memory, and make it harder to think clearly. It also can make you feel:
- Anxious
- Dizzy
- Sleepy
- Sick
- Depressed
- Paranoid
You shouldn’t use any cannabis products if you:
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have heart disease
- Ever had psychosis
- Have Parkinson’s disease
- Take clobazam or valproic acid for seizures, bipolar disorder, or migraine headaches
Ask your doctor if and which form of cannabis and its extracts might help you.
