{"id":191684,"date":"2017-07-29T18:46:26","date_gmt":"2017-07-29T18:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/make-cannabis-legal-for-ms-patients-charity-urges\/"},"modified":"2017-07-29T18:46:26","modified_gmt":"2017-07-29T18:46:26","slug":"make-cannabis-legal-for-ms-patients-charity-urges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/make-cannabis-legal-for-ms-patients-charity-urges\/","title":{"rendered":"Make cannabis legal for MS patients, charity urges"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>The MS society says evidence shows cannabis can dampen pain in MS patients<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><strong>It issued a report asking the Government to relax its drug ban for such sufferers<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Current laws mean those caught in possession  face up to five years in prison<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"author-section byline-plain\">By<\/p>\n<p>Stephen Matthews For Mailonline<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"follow-author\"><\/span><\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"byline-section\"><span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-published\"><br \/>\n  <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Published:<\/span><br \/>\n  08:09 EDT, 27 July 2017<br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n | <span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated\"><br \/>\n  <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Updated:<\/span><br \/>\n  00:20 EDT, 28 July 2017<br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-facebook\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-twitter\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-pinterest\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-gplus\">\n      <span class=\"g-interactivepost\"><br \/>\n        <a><\/a><br \/>\n      <\/span>\n        <\/li>\n<li class=\"share-email\">\n<p>                <span class=\"wai\">e-mail<\/span><br \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/li>\n<li class=\"share-icons\" id=\"shareLinkTop\">\n            <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>     <span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"count-number\">         314<\/p>\n<p class=\"count-text\">View <br \/> comments<\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Cannabis should be made legal for multiple sclerosis patients who get no pain relief from conventional drugs, a leading charity has urged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The MS society says some evidence shows the world&#8217;s most popular recreational drug can dampen pain and reduce muscle spasms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It issued a report asking for the Government to relax its ban on cannabis for patients with such symptoms who have been left with no other options.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Current laws state those caught in possession of the Class B substance face up to five years in prison in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-218458b70680bcb4\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The MS society says some evidence shows the world's most popular recreational drug can dampen pain and reduce muscle spasms\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-218458b70680bcb4\" src=\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2017\/07\/27\/13\/42BD168400000578-4735604-image-a-12_1501156935393.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The MS society says some evidence shows the world's most popular recreational drug can dampen pain and reduce muscle spasms\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">The MS society says some evidence shows the world&#8217;s most popular recreational drug can dampen pain and reduce muscle spasms<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The charity made the claim after reviewing an array of evidence and seeking the views of nearly 4,000 sufferers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It said 10 per cent of patients, of which, figures suggest, there are 100,000 in the UK, receive no benefit from medication.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">One in five patients had admitted to using cannabis to help their pain, while a quarter had stopped taking it out of fear they would be caught, its survey found.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Genevieve Edwards, the MS Society&#8217;s director of external affairs, told The Guardian<\/a> of the charity&#8217;s updated stance.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"rotator-panels link-bogr1 linkro-ccox\">\n<li>\n<p>  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2017\/07\/27\/12\/42BBEF7F00000578-0-image-m-59_1501154288967.jpg\" width=\"62\" height=\"60\" \/><span>You&#8217;ll never forget your prescription again: Swallowing a&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2017\/07\/27\/11\/42BB3FA800000578-0-image-m-4_1501151785784.jpg\" width=\"62\" height=\"60\" \/><span>Don&#8217;t run and lift weights on the same day if you want a&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2017\/07\/27\/11\/42BB65FC00000578-0-image-m-44_1501150418064.jpg\" width=\"62\" height=\"60\" \/><span>Talking to yourself ISN&#8217;T a sign of madness: It makes people&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2017\/07\/27\/11\/42BB443200000578-0-image-a-5_1501149724478.jpg\" width=\"62\" height=\"60\" \/><span>Doctors should give smokers a CT scan of their lungs to&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold health-ccox mol-style-medium\">&#8216;Cannabis should be legalised for medicinal use&#8217;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She said: &#8216;We think cannabis should be legalised for medicinal use for people with MS to relieve their pain and muscle spasms when other treatments haven\u2019t worked.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;The level of clinical evidence to support cannabis\u2019s use for medicinal purposes is not conclusive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;But there is sufficient evidence for our medical advisers to say that on the balance of probability, cannabis could benefit many people with MS experiencing pain and muscle spasms.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Ms Edwards added: &#8216;It\u2019s simply not right that some people are being driven to break the law to relieve their pain and spasticity.&#8217;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mol-factbox-title\">&#8216;NO INTENTION&#8217; TO MAKE WEED LEGAL<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It comes after the Government announced it has &#8216;no intention&#8217; of making cannabis legal in the UK.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Despite a growing body of evidence showing the herb to be safe, possession will remain punishable with jail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Experts slammed the Home Office&#8217;s controversial decision, describing it as a &#8216;missed opportunity&#8217; to legalise the herb.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But ministers pointed to various studies that have shown cannabis to be detrimental to human health, with significant links to schizophrenia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Such worrying associations have existed for decades, and were responsible the decision to reclassify the drug to a Class B nine years ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In recent years, Spain, South Africa, Uruguay and several states in the US have made cannabis legal for recreational use.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Pressure has been increasing on the UK to follow suit and update its drug policy, with many citing weed&#8217;s medicinal properties.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold health-ccox mol-style-medium\">Allow patients to get Sativex\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The charity has also called for the NHS to make Sativex, a cannabis-based mouth spray used by some MS patients, available on prescription.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In 2010 it became the first medicine based on herbal cannabis available for use in the UK &#8211; but only in Wales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The mouth spray, derived from THC and CBD, can only be prescribed to treat the loss of muscle control experienced by MS patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">On its website, the MS Society states it&#8217;s not available elsewhere in the UK &#8216;because the good it does is seen as too small to be worth what it costs&#8217;.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">For many patients it is too expensive to buy privately, where the medically-proven drug can cost as much as \u00a32,000 for a year&#8217;s supply.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But such restrictions on accessing the product in the UK is driving many to turn to smoking cannabis and breaking the law.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold health-ccox mol-style-medium\">&#8216;A significant endorsement&#8217;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Ian Hamilton, a researcher who looks into the effects of cannabis at York University, told MailOnline it was a &#8216;significant endorsement&#8217; to make.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He said: &#8216;It&#8217;s clear that they have explored not only the scientific evidence but the views of their members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Although it is clearly important to have scientific evidence to support the use of a drug in any form of treatment, it is also important to listen to the first hand accounts of people who report a benefit in using cannabis for specific symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;This is a further example of how research into the medicinal potential of cannabis is politicised in the UK as it remains outlawed.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold health-ccox mol-style-medium\">Mixed results\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Research into the benefits that cannabis-based medicines could provide MS patients in recent years have been mixed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A controversial report issued in September stated that medical cannabis helps to alleviate chronic pain and muscle problems related to MS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But a major review led by King&#8217;s College London in 2014 concluded that the drug is highly addictive and can cause mental health problems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\n<p>            <!-- ad: http:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v2\/us\/health\/none\/article\/other\/inread_player.html --><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"social-links-title\">Share or comment on this article<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"bigLinks sc-icns cleared\">\n<li class=\"share-facebook\">\n<p>                                    <span class=\"wai\">e-mail<\/span><br \/>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"share-icons\" id=\"shareLinkBottom\">\n<p>                                <\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n<li class=\"social-stats social-stats-pipe\" id=\"shareCountBottom\">\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"addCommentButton\" class=\"add-comment\">\n<p>                                <\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"rotator-panels\">\n<li class=\"new shallow-ac mini link-bogr6 linkro-wocc\">  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" 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Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The MS society says evidence shows cannabis can dampen pain in MS patients It issued a report asking the Government to relax its drug ban for such sufferers Current laws mean those caught in possession face up to five years in prison By Stephen Matthews For Mailonline Published: 08:09 EDT, 27 July 2017 | Updated: <a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/make-cannabis-legal-for-ms-patients-charity-urges\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-191684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191684\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}