Despite increased interest in the role of marijuana in treating various medical conditions, questions have remained about its benefits in treating MS symptoms, and some clinicians have been reluctant to prescribe it.
While prior surveys and clinical trials involving persons with MS have shown benefits of marijuana in treating certain symptoms, the findings have been inconsistent.
More than 100 patients responded to the survey, developed by the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center at Griffin Hospital.
All patients were enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Marijuana program and treated at the Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center at Griffin Hospital.
The survey respondents reported on their use of medical marijuana, its effects on their symptoms, and changes in the use of prescription medicines as a result of their use.
Participants were predominantly women and more likely to have the relapsing-remitting form of the condition. Most had experienced MS symptoms for more than 10 years.
Among the variety of forms of medical marijuana, the most method of consumption was inhalation by smoking or vaping, followed by oral and topical applications.
Inhalation brought most relief of symptoms, followed by oral and topical methods.
Self-reported significant improvements in symptoms associated with marijuana use included mood disorder, insomnia, pain, and muscle cramps and spasms.
Patients reporting the most benefit tended to have a milder form of MS with less disability. A small number of respondents felt that marijuana use led to a worsening of symptoms related to cognition, mood disorders, fatigue, headaches, nausea, insomnia, vertigo, numbness, pain, bowel or bladder issues, vision, balance, or muscle function.
Among those who completed the survey, 45 percent said they had reduced or stopped using prescription medicines as a result of medical marijuana use. These included opioid and non-opioid pain medications, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxers.
“This survey helps to clarify medicinal cannabis use by a group of persons with MS. One of the goals of the study is to educate patients and physicians,” said Joseph B. Guarnaccia, MD, principal investigator, who directs the Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center at Griffin Hospital. “Physicians might be well-advised to familiarize themselves with the potential benefits and risk of medical marijuana use as part of a discussion on symptom management with their patients with multiple sclerosis.”
The study title is “Patterns of Medical Cannabis Use among Patients Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.”
Funding was provided by the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s Biomedical Research Trust Fund and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center
was established in 1998 through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One of 26 Prevention Research Centers nationwide representing academic-community partnerships, the PRC is engaged in interdisciplinary applied prevention research designed to develop innovative approaches to health promotion and disease prevention that will directly benefit the public’s health.
The Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center at Griffin Hospital offers a comprehensive program for the evaluation and treatment of multiple sclerosis and related conditions. The Center is operated by Joseph B. Guarnaccia, MD, in partnership with Griffin Hospital, which is known nationally and internationally for its patient-centered health care under the Planetree Model of Care.
This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.
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