• From: Oakland, CA
  • Registered: 2008-05-30
  • Posts: 156

Topic: More on MS Society Position Paper on Medical Cannabis

National MS Society Releases Position Paper on Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis:

The National MS Society has released an expert opinion paper that marijuana has the potential to treat MS symptoms and limit the progression of the disease, but stopped short of recommending that MS patients use the drug.

"Although it is clear that cannabinoids have potential both for the management of MS symptoms such as pain and spasticity, as well as for neuroprotection, the Society cannot at this time recommend that medical marijuana be made widely available to people with MS for symptom management," the society concluded. "This situation might change, should better data become available that clearly demonstrate benefit."

The society called for future clinical trials on methods of administration that rapidly deliver cannabinoids to the bloodstream, such as vaporization. It also called for clinical trials to study medical marijuana's potential to slow the progression of the disease. It cited "anecdotal reports from patients... that cannabis reduces the frequency of their MS attacks."

With clinical data already reported showing that whole plant cannabinoid extracts relieved pain, spasticity, and incontentinence, more clinical studies ongoing, and countless anecdotal accounts from patients, some suggest the society is being overly cautious.

"The MS Society's recommendations are a positive step, but they don't go far enough. Surveys indicate that as many as one out of two MS patients use cannabis therapeutically, yet this report does nothing to challenge these patients' legal status as criminals," said Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, in a statement responding to the expert opinion.

Still, it is progress for the MS Society. It was only two years ago that the society, finally heeding the pleas of the people it is supposed to serve, first funded medical marijuana clinical trials. Before that, the MS Society had been indifferent, if not hostile, to medical marijuana. One half-step at a time.

George Pappas's Website

  • From: Oakland, CA
  • Registered: 2008-05-30
  • Posts: 156

Re: More on MS Society Position Paper on Medical Cannabis

As Ken Wolksi noted in the previous post, the MS Society has done a tremendous disservice to its constituents.  Armantano is absolutely right, but maybe too respectful in his critique. 

For people living with MS, this is absolutely a crisis.  They are forced to the illicit market for medication, where they risk violence and a plethora of other dangers.  On the other side, they are targeted by our own police for arrest and jail.   This aspect of the issue is no secret.  It must have been considered by those releasing the report And if that was the case, then they actively decided not to address, or to omit any reference to this horrid environment in which large numbers of its patient-population live.   

If I were a member of the MS Society, I would be furious that the leadership is so politicized that they felt they couldn't even TALK about the severity of this issue.    I would want to call or write them immediately to express my frustration. 

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/ContactUs.aspx

I would also want to find a chapter near me, and bring this issue to their attention, as well:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/find-a … index.aspx

George Pappas's Website

  • Registered: 2009-07-03
  • Posts: 3

Re: More on MS Society Position Paper on Medical Cannabis

The NMss has it's head in the sand. It is a fact that med mj helps relieve symptoms of MS. It seems all there money goes towrds new drug research. They are doing a study now about med mj but the results aren't fothcoming. There are other benificial treatments that they tend to ignore such as LDN and 4-AP. If they really want to support the MS community they should come out of there glass tower and deal with us, the patients not big Pharma. Just about all the correspondence that I recieve from them issolicitation instead of support. Something is broken.