Cannabinoids control symptoms and may limit nerve loss

#MSresearch Fantastic review of cannabis in MS

Pryce G, Baker D. Endocannabinoids in Multiple Sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2015;231:213-231

There are numerous reports that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have for many years been self-medicating with illegal street cannabis or more recently medicinal cannabis to alleviate the symptoms associated with MS and also amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These anecdotal reports have been confirmed by data from animal models and more recently clinical trials on the ability of cannabinoids to alleviate limb spasticity, a common feature of progressive MS (and also ALS) and neurodegeneration. Experimental studies into the biology of the endocannabinoid system have revealed that cannabinoids have efficacy, not only in symptom relief but also as neuroprotective agents which may slow disease progression and thus delay the onset of symptoms. This review discusses what we now know about the endocannabinoid system as it relates to MS and ALS and also the therapeutic potential of cannabinoid therapeutics as disease-modifying or symptom control agents, as well as future therapeutic strategies including the potential for slowing disease progression in MS and ALS.


A fantastic review on the effects on the cannabinoid system as symptom control agents and their neuroprotective potential. However yes CoI it is our work.

Our work on symptom control in beasties was realised by being able to control symptoms in MS.Will the neuroprotective potential that we found every be realised?  

Sadly I doubt it, because of the clinical trial failure with tetrahydrocannabinol has probably sunk this avenue from ever being realised or properly researched. No one is going to fund this. 

However, symptom control use , will be neuroprotective in our humble opinion so with medical marijuana there may be added benefit. Will pot smoking be monitored to address this issue. I doubt it too. However, we can do the same with pharmacological agents that avoid cannabis and the issues of recreational use/abuse.

We continue to maintain that cannabinoids are of essentially no use in controlling the T cell-mediated immune response and relapsing MS, despite the sea of papers showing that cannabinoid inhibit immune responses. However the animals are so whacked-out by the doses use, the data in animals is in our opinion utterly useless.

If cannabis was so immunosuppressive, why wouldn't we have seen this in trials and in general use given that it is the third largest drug of abuse.

Why would people with AIDS be smoking an immunosuppressive agent (it stimulates appetite)...simple answer is they wouldn't do it.

Why comment on this as a review...Almetrics;-)

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