How Common Is Medical Marijuana Use Among Patients With MS?

PHILADELPHIA—Cannabis is used by 8.6% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), making it the second most commonly used alternative therapy in this patient population, according to research reported at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Patients with MS most frequently used marijuana for such symptoms as fatigue, heat sensitivity, and numbness, tingling, and pain. Massage was the leading alternative therapy used by patients with MS, reported by 12% of this group, said Stanley Cohan, MD, PhD, and his research colleagues.

The researchers sent surveys with questions related to demographics, symptoms of MS, disability status, quality of life, use of MS medications, and alternative therapies to patients with MS (ages 18 and older) who were enrolled in the Pacific Northwest MS Registry. Oregon and Washington are among the 20 states that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and Washington is one of two states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use.

The investigators conducted analyses to determine the percentage of responders who reported cannabis use for MS symptoms and compared the data with those of nonusers according to demographic characteristics, score on the MS Impact Scale, responses on the Patient Determined Disease Steps questionnaire, and current symptoms using χ² and t-tests.

A total of 1,701 surveys (70%) were returned by patients in the registry; 8.6% of respondents reported current use of medical marijuana for their MS symptoms. The investigators found that patients who had used marijuana for MS were more likely to be younger, have more progressive disease or greater disability, be male, be unable to work due to MS, and smoke tobacco.

“There were no significant differences between cannabis users and nonusers in the use of MS medications, mean disease duration, or seeing a neurologist for treatment of MS,” stated Dr. Cohan, who is a neurologist and Medical Director of the Providence MS Center in Portland, Oregon.

Other complementary or alternative therapies used for MS included “other” (reported by 7.5% of survey responders), chiropractic (7.1%), acupuncture or acupressure (6.9%), naturopathy (3.8%), and biofeedback (0.6%). Regarding which MS symptoms were targeted by marijuana users, 82.2% used marijuana for fatigue, 76% for heat sensitivity, 74.7% for numbness, tingling, or pain, 68.5% for problems with thinking or memory, 67.1% for stiffness, spasms, or tremors in limbs, 62.3% for difficulty walking or maintaining balance, 58.2% for pain related to MS, 47.9% for impaired coordination, and 47.3% for depression and for problems with urination.

“Participants who used cannabis for their symptom management also reported higher unemployment due to MS, a higher impact of MS on quality of life, and greater disability,” Dr. Cohan commented. “The results highlight the need for in-depth studies on the impact of medical marijuana for management of MS symptoms. Follow-up studies will investigate the patient-reported impact of cannabis on symptom management.”

—Colby Stong

PHILADELPHIA—Cannabis is used by 8.6% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), making it the second most commonly used alternative therapy in this patient population, according to research reported at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Patients with MS most frequently used marijuana for such symptoms as fatigue, heat sensitivity, and numbness, tingling, and pain. Massage was the leading alternative therapy used by patients with MS, reported by 12% of this group, said Stanley Cohan, MD, PhD, and his research colleagues.

The researchers sent surveys with questions related to demographics, symptoms of MS, disability status, quality of life, use of MS medications, and alternative therapies to patients with MS (ages 18 and older) who were enrolled in the Pacific Northwest MS Registry. Oregon and Washington are among the 20 states that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and Washington is one of two states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use.

The investigators conducted analyses to determine the percentage of responders who reported cannabis use for MS symptoms and compared the data with those of nonusers according to demographic characteristics, score on the MS Impact Scale, responses on the Patient Determined Disease Steps questionnaire, and current symptoms using χ² and t-tests.

A total of 1,701 surveys (70%) were returned by patients in the registry; 8.6% of respondents reported current use of medical marijuana for their MS symptoms. The investigators found that patients who had used marijuana for MS were more likely to be younger, have more progressive disease or greater disability, be male, be unable to work due to MS, and smoke tobacco.

“There were no significant differences between cannabis users and nonusers in the use of MS medications, mean disease duration, or seeing a neurologist for treatment of MS,” stated Dr. Cohan, who is a neurologist and Medical Director of the Providence MS Center in Portland, Oregon.

Other complementary or alternative therapies used for MS included “other” (reported by 7.5% of survey responders), chiropractic (7.1%), acupuncture or acupressure (6.9%), naturopathy (3.8%), and biofeedback (0.6%). Regarding which MS symptoms were targeted by marijuana users, 82.2% used marijuana for fatigue, 76% for heat sensitivity, 74.7% for numbness, tingling, or pain, 68.5% for problems with thinking or memory, 67.1% for stiffness, spasms, or tremors in limbs, 62.3% for difficulty walking or maintaining balance, 58.2% for pain related to MS, 47.9% for impaired coordination, and 47.3% for depression and for problems with urination.

“Participants who used cannabis for their symptom management also reported higher unemployment due to MS, a higher impact of MS on quality of life, and greater disability,” Dr. Cohan commented. “The results highlight the need for in-depth studies on the impact of medical marijuana for management of MS symptoms. Follow-up studies will investigate the patient-reported impact of cannabis on symptom management.”

—Colby Stong

PHILADELPHIA—Cannabis is used by 8.6% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), making it the second most commonly used alternative therapy in this patient population, according to research reported at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Patients with MS most frequently used marijuana for such symptoms as fatigue, heat sensitivity, and numbness, tingling, and pain. Massage was the leading alternative therapy used by patients with MS, reported by 12% of this group, said Stanley Cohan, MD, PhD, and his research colleagues.

The researchers sent surveys with questions related to demographics, symptoms of MS, disability status, quality of life, use of MS medications, and alternative therapies to patients with MS (ages 18 and older) who were enrolled in the Pacific Northwest MS Registry. Oregon and Washington are among the 20 states that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and Washington is one of two states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use.

The investigators conducted analyses to determine the percentage of responders who reported cannabis use for MS symptoms and compared the data with those of nonusers according to demographic characteristics, score on the MS Impact Scale, responses on the Patient Determined Disease Steps questionnaire, and current symptoms using χ² and t-tests.

A total of 1,701 surveys (70%) were returned by patients in the registry; 8.6% of respondents reported current use of medical marijuana for their MS symptoms. The investigators found that patients who had used marijuana for MS were more likely to be younger, have more progressive disease or greater disability, be male, be unable to work due to MS, and smoke tobacco.

“There were no significant differences between cannabis users and nonusers in the use of MS medications, mean disease duration, or seeing a neurologist for treatment of MS,” stated Dr. Cohan, who is a neurologist and Medical Director of the Providence MS Center in Portland, Oregon.

Other complementary or alternative therapies used for MS included “other” (reported by 7.5% of survey responders), chiropractic (7.1%), acupuncture or acupressure (6.9%), naturopathy (3.8%), and biofeedback (0.6%). Regarding which MS symptoms were targeted by marijuana users, 82.2% used marijuana for fatigue, 76% for heat sensitivity, 74.7% for numbness, tingling, or pain, 68.5% for problems with thinking or memory, 67.1% for stiffness, spasms, or tremors in limbs, 62.3% for difficulty walking or maintaining balance, 58.2% for pain related to MS, 47.9% for impaired coordination, and 47.3% for depression and for problems with urination.

“Participants who used cannabis for their symptom management also reported higher unemployment due to MS, a higher impact of MS on quality of life, and greater disability,” Dr. Cohan commented. “The results highlight the need for in-depth studies on the impact of medical marijuana for management of MS symptoms. Follow-up studies will investigate the patient-reported impact of cannabis on symptom management.”

—Colby Stong