Approved Cannabis Drug for Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple sclerosis is a serious disease, and can be lifelong. The immune system in MS patients is overactive, and neuroinflammation damages cells in the central nervous system. With symptoms being unique for everyone, MS is often painful, exhausting and can cause problems with how we walk, move, see, think and feel.
Neuroprotective Effects of Cannabis
Medical cannabis has been proven to significantly reduce neuropathic pain, spasticity, muscle stiffness and sleep disturbances of patients with MS.
Strong evidence indicates cannabinoids have an important impact on the improvement of MS, by controlling the overactive immune activity, decreasing inflammation of the nervous tissue and enhancing endogenous repair mechanism in the central nervous system.
Approved Cannabis Medicine
The consistency, efficacy, and safety of cannabis-based medicines have been demonstrated in humans, leading to the approval of Sativex, the first cannabis-based medicine for multiple sclerosis (MS). It was developed by a UK Pharmaceuticals company and was approved for MS treatment in Canada in 2005. Sativexhas been approved for medical use in over 25 countries, including UK, Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland.
Besides alleviating other symptoms of MS, this drug can especially be used for ‘moderate’ to ‘severe’ spasticity when if other treatments haven’t worked.
