Results from trials of cannabis in multiple sclerosis have given mixed results.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with muscle stiffness, spasms, pain, and
tremor. Much anecdotal evidence suggests that cannabinoids (cannabis
derivatives) could help these symptoms. Researchers from the University of
Plymouth, UK, and colleagues report the findings from the first large-scale
randomised trial to investigate the effect of oral cannabinoids on spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis.

A group of 630 MS patients receiving treatment from 33 UK centres were divided into three sub-groups: : oral cannabis extract (211 patients), D9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 206 patients), or placebo (213 patients). Assessment took place after 15 weeks, with changes in spasticity (muscle stiffness and jerking movements) being assessed. There was no evidence of a difference in spasticity scores between patients given cannabinoids compared with those given placebo. In all three groups, whilst on treatment, patients were observed to have a small reduction in time taken to walk a short distance- by 12 per cent in the patients who received THC compared with four per cent in both the cannabis extract and placebo groups. Sixty per cent of patients in the cannabinoid treatment groups reported subjective improvements in spasticity compared with 46% in the placebo group, and 54 per cent of patients given cannabinoids reported improvements in pain compared with 37 per cent in the placebo group.