Marijuana for MS: Miracle or Menace?

Imagine the desperation felt by people living with chronic, severe pain or discomfort — with no relief in sight. The list of symptoms brought on by multiple sclerosis is lengthy, and for people with progressive forms of MS, quality of life becomes an intensely personal issue. Until we walk in those shoes, our ability to truly empathize is limited.

Marijuana has been reported to help patients cope with a variety of chronic medical conditions, including AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis. Many MS patients and advocates report that the use of medical marijuana provides relief from spasticity, nerve pain, tremors, sleeping disorders, and depression.

Marijuana is known to cause some cognitive impairment, but many legally prescribed medications are far more potent and come with the risk of more serious side effects. Watch television for a few hours and you’ll see a stream of ads for powerful prescription medications with lengthy potential side-effects up to and including death… but they remain an option for those who choose them.

Six years into life with relapsing/remitting MS, I consider myself very fortunate in that I still have periods of remission that provide relief from symptoms. I have no need for marijuana or the regular use of any type of pain medication. However, having experienced extended periods of pain, discomfort, and a fair amount of disability, I have an inkling of how life might change should my MS run amok and become more aggressive, or if some other condition should rear its ugly head. It is a possibility I cannot dismiss.

Next: How Safe is Marijuana?

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jenna W.

7:44PM PST on Jan 2, 2012

Marijuana is a very beneficial medicine with little side effects that are very tolerable. There are hardly any risks about it too.

send a green star

KS G.

5:44AM PDT on Jun 15, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Russell R.

7:10AM PDT on Jun 1, 2011

Dr.Hermon Mihranian - a negative impact? If you never smoked don't even try to talk about it - it is not what you see in all these television shows and movies - I've done my best work on it, it kept me focused on whatever I was doing. I sure you like to have your cocktail now and then - alcohol, you have no control - it controls you - with cannabis, you have control over it - it is almost as if someone hypnotized you - if you believe it to happen, you will make it happen. If it is to much to handle, then just eat something and you'll come right down. What do you think the Indian Chiefs had in their "peace" pipes - hence the word "peace" It was alcohol that made them wild. Pot don't make you wild, but, more aware. Put don't your gun and take a toke. We can fight another day, but, today we'll just relax!

6:46AM PDT on Jun 1, 2011

As one with MS - it help me regain my life - as far as the cognitive impact, I received my BA with honors. I have never taken any drug treatment when it was suggested. I Have had three brain scans since I was 22 and nothing has changed over the past 35 years. No increase in the three lesions that were first seen. No brain cells have been lost. I did stop smoking it for 1 1/2 years now and basically feel like sh-t most of the time, but it is a medicine I just can't afford to take anymore. If things do happen to get worse, I will surely find a way and go back to being a criminal in societies eyes. The only thing that it didn't help me beat was the heat!

Val G.

4:33PM PDT on May 26, 2011

Not for me to judge...

Danielle H.

5:43AM PDT on May 13, 2011

THANK YOU

Hilary E.

11:16AM PST on Feb 13, 2011

There is no pharmaceutical medicine I will try without hiving Cannabis a shot first. It absolutely does not impair cognitive ability in any way shape or form....just because you connect things differently doesn't mean you are connecting them wrongly.

Brian M.

1:56PM PDT on Oct 28, 2010

Cannabis has been effectively used as a medicine to treat many different conditions and illnesses for centuries. It's time that Americans have legal access to this healing plant.

1:53PM PDT on Oct 28, 2010

Nancy F.

4:49PM PDT on Oct 19, 2010

Well Doc Hermon - I hope you are watching Diane Sawyer's program tonight and you will see that most kids are addicted to HEROIN now. This started with the dealers giving this evil product to the kids free and once they were addicted - then they had to pay. Wow - I thought it was crack - but now it is Heroine and where does that come from - Afghanistan and adjoining countries. So maybe you should put your attention to this evil product that turns children into drug addicts!!!!!!!!!!!