|
Home > News Archive > 2000 > Researchers Link Marijuana And The Suppression Of Multiple Sclerosis
Researchers Link Marijuana And The Suppression Of Multiple Sclerosis
March 9, 2000 - London, England
Researchers at the University College of London have found a link between marijuana and the suppression of multiple sclerosis.
The research, led by David Baker, studied mice suffering from chronic allergic encephalomyelitis, an animal autoimmune model for multiple sclerosis, and said a synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ameliorated the mice's symptoms by reducing tremors and spasticity. The compounds injected into the mice stimulated Cannabinoid receptors on the surface of nerve cells.
Testing on humans has not begun, but the results from this latest study are encouraging.
"This lends credence to the anecdotal reports that some people with multiple sclerosis have said that cannabis can help control these distressing symptoms," said Lorna Layward, one of the study's authors and head of research at the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
"This study is reassuring to anyone who is a recreational user and also has multiple sclerosis," said multiple sclerosis specialist Denis J. Petro, M.D.
For more information, please contact Denis Petro, M.D. at (703) 528-2647.
updated: Mar 09, 2000
|
