Cannabis
Cannabis has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, and could be legally prescribed by doctors in the UK until 1971. However, cannabis is not available legally in the UK although some cannabis-based drugs are available or are in clinical trials. Cannabis plants contain a cocktail of substances called cannabinoids, some of which have pain-relieving properties or act to relieve nausea. A number of people with MS find that cannabis provides relief from pain, spasms and tremor, often when nothing else will help.
Cannabis generally produces a mild ‘high’ or sense of well-being and relaxation, but can also cause dizziness, drowsiness and a feeling of unease. Clinical trials of cannabis-based drugs have not found a benefit on symptoms that can be measured by doctors, although patients sometimes reported that they felt better on treatment.