THC/CBD Extract Associated With Reduced Spasticity In ALS Patients Per Study
The daily administration of the proprietary cannabis extract nabiximols — a spray containing nearly equal ratios of plant-derived THC and CBD — reduces spasticity in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS aka Lou Gehrig’s disease), according to clinical trial data published in the journal Lancet Neurology.
Italian researchers compared the administration of nabiximols versus placebo in a cohort of ALS patients over a period of six weeks. Researchers reported an improvement in spasticity scores among those patients randomly assigned nabiximols, while those provided the placebo experienced a deterioration in their scores. Authors determined that nabiximols treatment was “well tolerated” and that “no serious adverse events occurred” over the trial period.
They concluded: “In this proof-of-concept trial, nabiximols had a positive effect on spasticity symptoms in patients with motor neuron disease and had an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. These findings should be investigated further in larger clinical trials.”
Nabiximols, also known under the brand name Sativex, is prescribed in numerous countries throughout the world in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
(read the full article via NORML)
