CANNABIS TRULY HELPS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUFFERERS

Cannabis may loosen the stiff and spastic muscles of multiple
sclerosis sufferers, and not just their minds, a follow-up study has
found.

The results contradict findings from the first phase of the study,
where improvements seemed to be largely due to "good moods".

"There does seem to be evidence of some benefit from cannabis in the
longer term that we didn't anticipate in the short term study," says
John Zajicek, at Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, UK, and one of
the research team.

In 2003, Zajicek and his colleagues published results on the largest
study to date of cannabinoids and MS. The trial included 630
advanced-stage MS patients who took either cannabinoid compounds or a
placebo for 15 weeks.

Compared with those on placebos, patients who received active
compounds said they both felt less pain and less muscle spasticity -
the spasms characteristic of this neurodegenerative disease.

Good guess

But physiotherapists using standard evaluations were unable to
corroborate the patients' claims of improved mobility or muscle stiffness.

The results were further complicated because about two thirds of the
patients who received cannabis compounds, such as D9-tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), guessed they had not received a placebo, due to the drugs
effect on their mind.

The knowledge that they were receiving an active compound, along with
the mood-altering effects of THC, may have explained why subjects
reported improvements.

"If you've got a drug that elevates mood and makes people feel better,
how can you be sure that it's really affecting their underlying
disease and their symptoms?" asks Zajicek.

Marked improvement

When the short-term study ended, however, the researchers gave all
subjects the opportunity to continue their treatment for a full year.
The team wanted to extend the study to gather information on the
safety of long-term cannabinoid use.

More than 500 patients agreed to stay on their original treatment. One
group took pills of D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active
ingredient in cannabis. The second group received natural cannabis
extract, and the third group took a placebo.

At the end of the 12 month period, the patients were evaluated again
using the same measures as in the first study. But this time,
physiotherapists saw a marked improvement for subjects on active
drugs. They had reduced muscle spasticity and an improved overall
score for their level of disability.

Zajicek is cautious about the implications of the study as it was not
specifically designed to test the efficacy of drugs over 12 months.
But the results do support animal research that shows cannabinoids may
slow nerve cell death and protect against damage.

The findings were presented at the British Association for the
Advancement of Science Festival, in Exeter, UK.