New York, NY: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has announced that it will provide funding to complete an ongoing clinical trial by the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research investigating the use of cannabis to treat symptoms of MS. The clinical trial is the first study in the United States in almost 20 years investigating the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, and is the first such trial funded by the MS Society.
Investigators in the study will assess the efficacy of inhaled cannabis and/or oral THC in reducing MS-associated spasticity compared to placebo. Previous preclinical and clinical data indicate that cannabinoids can alleviate MS-associated spasticity, pain, muscle stiffness, and incontinence, as well as potentially moderate the progression of the disease.
The trial is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2008.
Unlike the MS Societies of Canada and the United Kingdom, the US Society has not taken a public stance in support of the therapeutic use of cannabis for MS. According to survey data, some 15 to 40 percent of MS patients use cannabis to treat symptoms of the disease.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500.