Research shows cannabidiol could protect neurons from further damage in multiple sclerosis.
TruthOnPot.com – Multiple sclerosis patients are well aware of the potential for marijuana to help when it comes to dealing with symptoms. Since 2005, Sativex – an oral spray made with natural cannabis extract – has passed clinical trials and received approval from over 20 countries for the treatment of MS-related spasticity.
But is it possible for cannabis medicine to actually slow progression of the disease without getting you high? The answer is yes, according to new research out of Spain.
Using cell culture and animal models, scientists at the Cajal Institute found that treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) – one of the major chemicals found in marijuana – reversed many of the inflammatory responses associated with MS and provided “long-lasting protection” against their effects.
In fact, mice treated with CBD for 10 days showed “impaired disease progression” and better motor abilities compared to the untreated group. Writing in the journal Neurobiology of Disease, the researchers concluded that CBD has the potential to slow various aspects of MS.
“This compound can limit the harmful effects of an exacerbated inflammatory response… and prevent the development of secondary and irreversible damage.”
While studies have also found THC to have anti-inflammatory effects, CBD is non-psychoactive. As a result, medicines that contain just THC or even both – such as Sativex and most strains of medical marijuana – are limited in therapeutic potential, according to the authors.
Unfortunately, CBD is difficult to study in humans since it remains illegal in most parts of the world. But with more research (or policy reform), there is hope that one day MS sufferers will have access to this promising, cannabis-based treatment.
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