The National Multiple Sclerosis Society's official position on medical marijuana is that early studies have shown mixed results and some side effects. They continue to support and fund medical marijuana studies.
At a recent Multiple Sclerosis support group meeting in Pittsburgh, PA. Rock Heyman, MD was the keynote speaker. He said, "We know marijuana helps multiple sclerosis but I am not allowed to prescribe it to you."
Dr. Heyman is the Assistant Professor of Neurology Chief Department of Division of Neuroimmunology/Multiple Sclerosis , University of Pittsburgh Medical School.
Dr. Heyman provides care for many of the people with multiple sclerosis and related disorders throughout the region. Dr. Heyman is active with both the national and regional National MS Society (NMSS), serving on the regional board of trustees and as their medical advisor, research advocate, and chairman of the clinical advisory committee. He is an active member of the national office of the NMSS medical advisory board and Council of Clinical Advisory Committee Chairs. Dr. Heyman chairs the education committee of the consortium of MS Centers.
A reader in Denver writes, "My brother had MS (I say had because it eventually took him from us a few years ago) and was a patient who used medical marijuana and I can't believe the ignorance that continues to prevail in this area! I found some interesting articles by a man who was hired by the government to study the long term effects of Marijuana and after 20 years he declared there was nothing to study. He fully supports the legalization of marijuana across the board because he's not only found no detrimental side effects, but had come across multiple cases of people who were seriously helped by their use. There was one article I found heart-wrenching & you may be familiar with this case, or others like it, but I thought I'd send you the link. I just subscribed to receive notices when you post new articles...thank you for taking a stand on this issue and I look forward to reading more from you!"
I appreciate hearing from my readers and learning what is important to them and this is the link she forwarded.
Comments
Thanks for sharing this Dev! You amaze me at the amount of researching you do to post all the articles you do on this very important & touchy subject! There are a lot of folks who have found relief from various mental/physical illnesses with MM and the push from the people must start being louder-we need to support more studies into how it helps people like the boy who now lives on a Youth Ranch-fighting against the tide that is his anger and imbalance within that the MM helped for a short time.
I never fail to wonder at people who don't understand how many people support the legalization of Hemp/Marijuana...when you fear you may end up in jail you tend to keep quiet.
Michelle - I have learned something new just this week while working on Pennsylvania HB1393. We(supporters) think we are speaking out but we are only speaking to ourselves. We need to "come out of the closet" on this issue because the reality is that in mainstream America many in the popular culture do smoke marijuana but will not admit it and will not go on the record because it is illegal. Truth be told they would probably prefer to not be breaking the law, but they are in a double bind. We need to find the right words to frame the right question so that nobody can give a negative response. And then we need to shout the question the same way that Paul Revere shouted "The British are coming." I believe the question should be, "If your mother was very ill and her doctor said that medical marijuana might be a treatment that could offer her some relief and that we should try it out, do you think the federal government should have the right to deprive your mother of that opportunity?
Wheeeww!! We are getting closer!!
People forget,or just don't know that in the early 1900's 90% of all pain medication was Cannabis based.There is so much information out there that is PRO Cannabis/Hemp its almost laughable that it is still under prohibition.From Argriculture to Medical its the worlds most benificial natural resorce.In 1937 when Marijuana prohibition began, the American Medical Association( AMA )did not Know that Marijuana and Cannabis were one in the same until 2 days before the prohibition bill was passed.Through GREED,RACISM and YELLOW journalism,Cannabis/Hemp,under the name Marijuana,was demonized in the media and in propaganda movies like "Reefer Maddness". Greed and profits always beat out the welfare of the people. FREE THE WEED!!!!!!!
i have ms and i suffer so much pain and am sick in my stomach i can no longer swallow solid food i would love to get off of some of these meds that make me sick and try medical marijuana it would be safe because it would come to us patients and we would know what we was taking please pass this for people that this would help so are lives could be worth living
Hello.
My HUSBAND has M/S and he smok'd some Marijuana listen people.
He smoke'd for the first time and he already felt the diffrence wow.I'm all for it for him to smoke it but pennsylvania has to make it Legal. So we need to get together and go to Gongress so they can make it Legal. What do we have to do ,to get it done.
Thank you very much
Warmly, PETRA
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