The status of marijuana in multiple sclerosis
Researchers from the University of Patras Medical School in Greece have reviewed the data.
- There’s no significant decline in cognition (reasoning) after relatively short-term administration of cannabis-based medicinal extracts.
- However, there are also no large long-term systematic clinical studies of cannabis-based medicinal extracts in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
The bottom line?
The authors conclude, there are many unresolved issues, including the possible side effects of cannabis-based medicinal extracts on cognition.
Actually, that data do exist.
Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada recently reported the downside of street cannabis in patients with MS. Marijuana smokers perform 50% slower on tests of information processing speed compared to non-smoking MS patients. And, marijuana smokers are more likely to be depressed and anxious.
7/7/08 10:43 JR
philjacobs said:
on September 2, 2008 at 2:12 pm
The key word in this analysis of Marijuana use in MS patients, is “Street”.
“Street” Cannabis has not been grown properly, and is generally cut with another substance – even glass – to bring the illusion of properly grown cannabinoids. Medicinal Cannabis is not the same as “street” cannabis.
Where are the studies using Medicinal Cannabis, and why are we allowing Doctor’s to perform research with a “Black Market” substance.
JR said:
on September 2, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Thanks for distinguishing between the two. The study in Greece was with medicinal cannabis. The Canadian study was of street marijuana. I’ll do my best in future posts to clearly distinguish them.
Regarding your question, “Why are we allowing doctor’s to perform research with a ‘black market’ substance?” Marijuana is a widely used drug with lots of side effects. It’s important to inform people that pot isn’t harmless and be specific about the risks.
Dr. John McPartland of Vermont Alternative Medicine tells us, “Herbal marijuana, whether field grown or hydroponically cultivated, contains many microorganisms. Many of these organisms may pose a threat to immunosuppressed individuals.”
Read the entire article.
JR
philjacobs said:
on September 14, 2008 at 9:36 am
Thank-you for your post. The other article about micro-organisms is very out-dated. Surely Health Canada’s marijuana supply is irradiated for micro-organisms. Also advances in growing techniques over the past 10 years have improved the quality of cultivated cannabis, and also creating proper sanitary growing environments to eliminate process of irradiation.
Obviously this style of growing marijuana, like all plant matter/vegetables/fruits, has a shelf life, and will deteriorate over time.
The therapeutic properties of cannabis surely out weigh the negative side effects presented. Like all medication, it only works when applied properly.
Where is the research promoting the positive properties of cannabis?
JR said:
on September 14, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Where indeed?
If you have a positive marijuana study based on smoking weed, please send the link.
Lot’s of studies have been summarized on this blog in the past 2 years. The results do not support the value of smoking marijuana over other mainstream treatments. In fact, they show it to be somewhere between neutral to harmful.
Those researchers who concluded otherwise ignored seriously flawed study methodology (IMO).
JR
Dr Peter J. Stanton said:
on June 15, 2009 at 4:54 am
Regarding “street” pot…. back in the day, pot was procured via friends or sources who either grew it themselves or had a pretty close connection with some sort of “importer”. It varied in potency but I never dectected any obvious odd effects or other agents added in. I don’t know anyone who bought pot or a joint from a street vendor. No doubt this source would be prone to all sorts of impurities.
The up side of pot is eating more, sleeping better and sometimes laughing really hard. The downside is anxiety at times, paranoia and temporary cognitive impairment as well as retarded intellectual growth with chronic use. It is also without a doubt a gateway drug for other more strong substances.
It clearly has effects on the body that are measurable. I don’t know what clinical application they would have but if they find any, the drug should be grown and distributed by prescription. Some state laws allow a user to grow 12 plants. Dumb idea cause you know he is gonna be selling the surplus!