Can cannabis actually slow the progression of multiple sclerosis?

Society · Published 19 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative disorder that can strip patients of their ability to walk. While many know cannabis for pain, recent clinical evidence suggests it might do more than just mask symptoms—it may actually stabilize the disease's progression in some patients.

Clinical studies involving a marijuana-based extract, produced in England using liquid carbon dioxide as a solvent, have shown significant success in treating symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Specifically, the treatment was found to effectively relieve spasticity—painful muscle spasms or tightness—and severe central pain. These results were robust enough that the governments of England and Canada granted the pharmaceutical company the rights to sell the marijuana spray as a prescription treatment in pharmacies.

What makes these findings particularly compelling is the long-term stability observed in patients. In studies lasting over a year, patients were able to increase their dosage as needed to manage symptoms, yet they never had to increase the dose to compensate for worsening disease. This suggests that for these individuals, the disease was not progressing at the expected rate during the treatment period.

The research also extends to different delivery methods. While the primary pharmaceutical success came from a spray, a government-funded study led by Dr. Cory Bloom in California published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that inhaling the smoke of marijuana could also effectively relieve painful spasms. While the FDA has not approved the cannabis plant itself as medicine, it has approved specific man-made THC drugs for chemotherapy-induced nausea and purified CBD for childhood seizures, highlighting a growing regulatory path for cannabis-derived compounds.

The core challenge remains identifying which specific preparations work best for different types of multiple sclerosis syndromes. While the evidence for symptom relief is strong, researchers are still working to determine if these treatments can consistently slow the neurodegenerative progression across all patient profiles.

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