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What is the Society’s position on the use of medical cannabis in MS?
The Society supports the rights of individuals living with MS to collaborate with their healthcare providers in determining if medical cannabis is an appropriate treatment option, in compliance with state laws.
Although there are no cannabis-based FDA-approved medications to treat MS or its symptoms, some clinical trials have shown that non-smoked CBD/THC modestly improves reported spasticity and pain in people with MS.
The Society:
- Supports the removal of barriers for long-term safety and efficacy research of medical cannabis and derived compounds for the symptoms of MS and eventual creation of evidence-based guidelines in MS care
- Supports informed, open and shared decision-making between people with MS and their healthcare professionals. We believe that this engaged partnership leads to treatment adherence, self-advocacy, high satisfaction with care and better health outcomes
- Supports the availability of resources to promote safe and legal access for therapeutic use and research
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Does the Society advocate for access to medical marijuana?
The National MS Society supports the ability of people living with MS to make informed choices about their treatments with their MS health care providers, including the use of medical cannabis. Recognizing that additional research is still needed, we are evaluating ways we can remove the barriers to allowing research on medical cannabis at the federal level. We advocate legalizing medical cannabis at the state level.