Three studies show medicinal effects of cannabis in multiple sclerosis

Three clinical studies on the effect of THC and cannabis were published in the August edition of the journal Multiple Sclerosis.
The trials by Wade et al. (2004) from Oxford and of Brady et al. (2004) from London used a cannabis extract spray and the Swiss study of Vaney et al. (2004) were conducted with a capsulated cannabis extract.
The Swiss study with 57 patients, who received a daily dose of 15-30 mg THC, showed a reduction of spasm frequency and improvement of mobility in those 37 patients who received at least 90 per cent of maximum dose. Authors concluded that the extract "might lower spasm frequency and increase mobility with tolerable side effects in MS patients with persistent spasticity not responding to other drugs".
160 MS patients with one of the following symptoms were included in the study by Wade et al. (2004): spasticity, spasms, bladder problems, tremor or pain. They received daily doses of 2.5-120 mg THC. Following cannabis extract the primary symptom score reduced non-significantly from mean 74 to 49 and from 74 to 55 following placebo. Spasticity scores were significantly reduced.
Brady et al. (2004) investigated the effect of cannabis on 21 patients with bladder dysfunction, of whom 15 completed the study. Urinary urgency, the number and volume of incontinence episodes, frequency of bladder emptying and nocturia all decreased significantly following treatment.
The abstracts of the articles are available online in the IACM database of clinical studies at: www.cannabis-med.org/studies/study.php.

Vaney C, et al. Mult Scler 2004;10(4):417-24; Wade DT, et al. Mult Scler 2004;10(4):434-41; Brady CM, et al. Mult Scler 2004;10(4):425-33.)