A note on marijuana.

Most recent discussion about the medical use of marijuana focuses on its role in controlling nausea in cancer treatment, stimulating appetite particularly in people with AIDS, or relieving pressure inside the eye in the eye disease, glaucoma. But some people with MS believe that this drug relieves their spasticity.

The few very small, controlled trials of THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, have yielded mixed results. The positive reports could not always be confirmed by physicians and, at best, lasted less than three hours.

None of the studies so far have been large enough or designed carefully enough to produce clear results. Long-term use of marijuana is associated with memory impairment and personality changes. No comparative studies have been done to test THC against available FDA-approved therapies for spasticity.

The Society's Medical Advisory Board concludes that neither THC in pill form nor smoked marijuana can be recommended for treatment of MS, due to the absence of clear, clinical data demonstrating both safety and benefit.