Yo, so check it out, fam. There’s this illness called Multiple Sclerosis, or MS for short, that’s affecting over two million people worldwide. And in the U.S. alone, there are about a million people living with this neurological disease. But yo, MS is mad misunderstood, man. It messes with your body in all kinds of crazy ways, starting with them sclerotic nerves. And let me tell you, folks who got MS gotta deal with some real pain, loss of movement, and major changes to their lifestyle that can straight-up mess with their happiness. So, the question is, can we treat MS with Mary Jane?
Well, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society ain’t hatin’ on cannabis as an option. They say that even though there ain’t no FDA-approved medicines made from weed to treat MS or its symptoms, some clinical trials have shown that non-smoked CBD/THC can somewhat improve spasticity and pain in people with MS.
Now, peep this: folks with MS also deal with muscle stiffness, or as they call it in fancy terms, spasticity. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America says this spasticity thing is pretty common among peeps with MS. It’s like a tightness or stiffness in your muscles, especially in your legs, groin, and buttocks. Some unlucky ones might even experience it in their back. These muscles are important for standing and balancing upright, so you can imagine how much this spasticity messes with people.
But here’s where the ganja comes in. A study on medical marijuana showed that it might help ease spasticity caused by MS. They gave some peeps with MS a fat blunt to smoke (just kidding, it wasn’t a blunt). Anyway, these participants thought their symptoms had gotten better after they smoked that Mary Jane.
And get this: back in 2000, researchers worked with this 30-year-old dude who had MS. They wanted to see how his tremors were affected by smoking 5 milligrams of THC. And yo, it was wild! When they compared his handwriting and head movement before and after he toked up, his lines looked cleaner and he didn’t have that obvious shake anymore.
Now, I know that study was a hot minute ago, but scientists have learned a lot more about THC and CBD since then. They’re starting to understand how these compounds can help with other MS symptoms like pain and trouble sleeping. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is all about more research on the pros and cons of using weed to treat MS. Finally, the demand for this research is being met, ya feel me?
At the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in May 2019, some Italian researchers dropped some knowledge. They found that CBD and THC had “long-term effectiveness” in reducing spasticity. Like, after just one month, over 80% of patients experienced at least a 20% improvement in their spasticity, and over 40% experienced at least a 30% improvement. That’s some dope news right there!
But hold up, before you start lighting up a joint, make sure you talk to your doctor first. You don’t wanna mess with your current meds without getting some professional advice. But yo, there’s some promising studies on the horizon and this could just be the beginning of something great.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is all about breaking down barriers so we can do long-term research on the safety and effectiveness of medical weed for MS symptoms. They wanna create guidelines based on real evidence so peeps with MS can get the best care possible.
So, there you have it, fam. Weed might just be the answer to treating MS and giving people their lives back. Let’s keep pushing for more research and get that Mary Jane legalized for medical use. It’s time to bring some relief to those who need it the most. Stay lit, my friends.