Guidelines on complementary and alternative medicine, released by the American Academy of Neurology, indicate that multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers may benefit from marijuana administered in pill form.
The guidelines were developed by group of neurological researchers who evaluated 115 clinical studies exploring the effect of alternative therapies on MS patients. Oral cannibis extracts — medical marijuana pills — were identified as the only alternative treatment hat showed “strong evidence” of ameliorating MS symptoms. The researchers said there was little evidence of similar benefits from smoking pot, the Los Angeles Times noted.
Medical marijuana advocates hailed the guidelines as proof that the drug can be used to treat disease. However, some advocates noted that federal restrictions on cannibis research contributed to the lack of evidence for benefits from smoking pot.
The researchers noted that there was not enough available data to determine whether smoking marijuana produced benefits for MS patients. Medical marijuana is not legal in all states.
MS is a degenerative disease that causes the body’s own immune system to degrade nerve fibers, compromising the transmission of electrical signals by the central nervous system. There is no cure for MS. The study found that as many as 80% of MS sufferers try alternative therapies.
The guidelines have been published in the medical journal Neurology.
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