Cannabis and multiple sclerosis is a topic that comes up again and again in the MS community — and I think we need much more nuanced conversations about it.
I have been approached several times over the years by companies working with cannabis or CBD products, and I have also noticed how much interest there is within the MS community. I personally have no experience using cannabis — apart from knowing what a joint smells like when I walk past somebody smoking one — so this episode is not about my own treatment experience. Instead, I wanted to take a careful look at what the science actually tells us.
And I completely understand why people with MS are interested. When you live with chronic pain, spasticity, sleep problems, bladder symptoms or other symptoms that affect your quality of life every single day, the possibility that a plant containing many biologically active substances might offer some relief is fascinating. For some MS symptoms, cannabinoid-based medicines are already part of established medical treatment.
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At the same time, cannabis is not one substance. A standardized prescription spray is not the same thing as a joint. A CBD oil is not the same thing as a THC concentrate. An edible is different from an inhaled product, and none of these should be confused with products such as K2 or Spice, which contain synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and belong in a very different risk category.
There is also another problem that receives surprisingly little attention. Long-term and frequent cannabis use can, in some people, cause a condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. It can lead to repeated episodes of severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
That caught my attention after reading the National Geographic article “This strange syndrome is linked to regular cannabis use—and cases have doubled” by Stacey Colino and Brian Kevin, which was originally published in November 2024 and later updated. The article is part of National Geographic’s wider exploration of modern cannabis, including the consequences of increasingly potent products. [1]
One of the accompanying features focuses explicitly on CHS and highlights abdominal pain, vomiting, compulsive hot bathing and the possible connection with frequent use of high-potency cannabis products. A second article in the same package looks at how modern cannabis products have changed, particularly through concentrates that may contain far more THC than traditional cannabis flower.
I want to use that National Geographic reporting as the starting point for this episode, but because this is MS-Perspektive, I also want to look beyond it and ask the questions that matter specifically to people with multiple sclerosis: What can cannabinoids actually help with? Where is the evidence strongest? What do we know about THC, CBD and other components? What is Sativex, and how is it different from recreational cannabis? What should we know about high-potency products? And if you are interested in trying a cannabinoid-based treatment for an MS symptom, how can you approach that conversation with your neurologist?
My aim is not to frighten anyone away from a potentially useful treatment. It is to help you make a more informed decision. Because it would be very frustrating if someone tried cannabis in good faith because they hoped for less pain, better sleep or less spasticity — and ended up with even less quality of life because nobody had explained the risks properly.
As always, this episode is for information only and cannot replace individual medical advice.
First: cannabis is not one medicine
One of the biggest problems in discussions about cannabis is that we often use one word for many completely different products. The cannabis plant contains many biologically active compounds. The best known are the cannabinoids delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and cannabidiol, or CBD.
THC is largely responsible for the intoxicating effects associated with cannabis. It interacts strongly with cannabinoid receptors in the nervous system and can influence pain perception, muscle tone, appetite, mood, cognition and many other functions. CBD does not produce the same kind of intoxication, but it is biologically active and can also interact with medications.
You will also hear about minor cannabinoids such as CBG, CBC and CBN, as well as terpenes — aromatic compounds that contribute to the smell and taste of the plant. There is fascinating laboratory research around many of these substances, but here we need our first important distinction: interesting biology is not the same thing as proven clinical benefit in people with MS.
Most of the meaningful clinical evidence in MS still concerns THC-containing preparations, combinations of THC and CBD, and particularly nabiximols. For many of the minor cannabinoids, specific terpene combinations and claims about the so-called entourage effect, the evidence in human MS is still far too limited to make confident therapeutic recommendations. That does not mean those compounds have no potential. It means that we do not yet know enough.
What is Sativex or nabiximols?
Let us start with one of the areas where the evidence is much clearer. Sativex is a brand name for nabiximols, an oromucosal spray containing standardized extracts from Cannabis sativa. It contains THC and CBD in approximately equal amounts and is sprayed inside the mouth rather than smoked.
That distinction matters because dose and composition are controlled in a pharmaceutical product in a way that is very different from purchasing cannabis flower, gummies, oils or concentrates whose cannabinoid content may vary substantially.
In Germany, Sativex has been approved for adults with moderate to severe MS-related spasticity who have not responded adequately to other anti-spasticity medication. The German Multiple Sclerosis Society lists it as an option in symptomatic treatment. [2]
The scientific evidence supports a benefit for some patients. A major Cochrane review included 25 randomized controlled trials with 3,763 participants, including 13 trials of nabiximols. The reviewers concluded that nabiximols probably increases the number of people who experience an important reduction in their perceived MS spasticity compared with placebo. [3]
A later systematic review and meta-analysis also found benefits for MS-related spasticity, although the included studies were heterogeneous and this does not mean that every patient will respond. [4]
The important lesson is that evidence for nabiximols cannot simply be transferred to every cannabis product. We cannot assume that smoking cannabis, taking an unknown CBD oil or consuming a high-dose THC gummy will produce the same benefits with the same risk profile. They are different interventions.
What about pain?
Pain is probably one of the biggest reasons why people with MS become interested in cannabis. That is completely understandable. Neuropathic pain can be persistent, exhausting and difficult to treat, conventional treatments do not work well for everybody, and side effects can also limit the options.
Cannabinoids may help some people with pain, but in MS specifically the evidence is less straightforward than it is for spasticity. The Cochrane review found substantially more uncertainty around chronic neurological pain than around patient-reported spasticity. [3]
That distinction matters when we talk about expectations. It is reasonable to say that cannabinoids are scientifically interesting for pain and that some patients report benefit. It would be much harder to make the general promise that cannabis reliably reduces MS pain.
Sleep, bladder problems and other MS symptoms
There may also be effects beyond spasticity. Researchers are interested in bladder symptoms, sleep, spasms and other areas that are highly relevant to daily life with MS, but the evidence is considerably less established.
This is an area where I think we should get comfortable saying: there are promising signals, but we do not yet have strong enough evidence for routine recommendations. That is not the same as saying there is no potential. It simply means that the research is still developing.
THC versus CBD: an important study to watch
One current trial I find particularly interesting is taking place at the University of Calgary. The study directly compares THC with CBD in people with MS and examines effects on cognition and neurogenic bladder symptoms.
Participants receive either THC or CBD oil for 15 weeks, and researchers assess processing speed using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test as well as bladder symptoms. As of the latest ClinicalTrials.gov update in January 2026, the trial was active but no longer recruiting.
I like the question behind this study because it moves us away from the overly simplistic question “Does cannabis work?” towards much more useful questions: Which cannabinoid? At what dose? For which symptom? For which patient? And with which side effects?
Those are the questions we ultimately need answered.
CBD is not automatically an MS treatment
CBD deserves its own section because its reputation has become almost detached from the scientific evidence. CBD products are marketed for pain, sleep, anxiety, inflammation, recovery, fatigue and sometimes even for MS itself.
But a commercial CBD oil should not be confused with an evidence-based MS treatment. The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation’s current resource on wellness and complementary therapies states that Sativex has evidence for a modest benefit in some people with MS-related spasticity, while there is no evidence that commonly available CBD products themselves provide a benefit for MS. [6]
That does not mean CBD has no pharmacological effects. Pharmaceutical cannabidiol is, for example, an established drug for certain seizure disorders. But evidence for one condition cannot simply be transferred to another.
Again, the substance, dose, formulation and indication matter.
Cannabinoids do not replace disease-modifying MS treatment
This distinction is essential. Cannabinoid-based treatments in MS are currently used primarily for symptom management.
We do not currently have sufficient clinical evidence showing that THC, CBD, cannabis flower or nabiximols can replace a disease-modifying MS therapy by reliably preventing relapses, suppressing MRI activity or slowing disability progression.
So even if a cannabinoid treatment helps your spasticity, pain or sleep, that is a different therapeutic goal from controlling MS disease activity. Both can matter, but they are not interchangeable.
The potential downside for cognition
There is another area I think deserves particular attention in people with MS: cognition. Problems with processing speed, attention and memory are already common in multiple sclerosis, which means a substance that may additionally affect these functions deserves careful consideration.
In 2025, Anne Kever, Cecilia Meza and Anthony Feinstein published findings from a large clinical sample of 847 people with MS. Of those, 254 reported recreational cannabis use. Cannabis use was associated with poorer performance in processing speed and working-memory-related testing even after the researchers adjusted for several relevant factors. [7]
Because this was a cross-sectional study, it cannot prove that cannabis caused those cognitive differences. That is very important. But the finding adds to earlier evidence suggesting that chronic whole-plant cannabis use may affect cognitive domains that are already vulnerable in MS. A systematic review reached a similar cautious conclusion, particularly around attention, working memory and information-processing speed. [8]
Interestingly, a small 2024 study also examined what happened when people with MS who regularly used cannabis abstained. It found preliminary evidence of cognitive improvement after abstinence, although the study was small and should not be overinterpreted. [9]
This does not mean that every person using a cannabinoid medication will develop cognitive problems, and prescription preparations should not automatically be equated with heavy recreational use. But if you already experience brain fog, slowed processing speed or memory problems, this is something I would explicitly discuss with your neurologist.
The issue that triggered this episode: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
Let us return to the National Geographic article. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, is associated with chronic, heavy or very frequent cannabis use and causes recurring episodes of severe vomiting, often accompanied by nausea and abdominal pain.
One particularly unusual feature is that many affected people discover that very hot showers or baths temporarily ease their symptoms. This behaviour is not present in every case and is not enough to diagnose CHS by itself, but it is a characteristic clue.
CHS symptoms are often cyclical. People can go through periods when they feel much better and then suddenly become very ill again. A 2025 review describes substantial delays between the onset of symptoms and the eventual diagnosis, partly because awareness of the condition is still limited.
Why CHS is so difficult to understand
There is an extraordinary paradox here. Cannabinoids can have anti-nausea effects, and some cannabinoid medicines are even used medically to treat nausea in other conditions.
So imagine that you use cannabis because you believe it helps you relax, sleep or manage pain. Then you develop nausea. You might logically think: “I should use cannabis because cannabis helps nausea.” And temporarily, you might even feel that it helps.
That makes it very difficult to recognize that chronic cannabis exposure may actually be part of the problem. The cyclical nature of CHS can make the connection even less obvious.
Why stopping cannabis can be confusing
The main long-term intervention for CHS is sustained cessation of cannabis. However, stopping does not necessarily mean that every symptom disappears the next morning.
This is one of the points highlighted in the National Geographic article: improvement may be slow enough that people begin to doubt the connection. If you stop using cannabis but continue to feel sick for some time, it is understandable to think that cannabis cannot have been the cause. [1]
That is why it is so important to tell the doctor assessing recurrent vomiting about your cannabis use — including medical cannabis — and also to mention recent use even if you have already stopped.
The diagnosis itself can be complex because severe recurrent vomiting has many possible causes. CHS should therefore not be self-diagnosed, and other important gastrointestinal or medical conditions must not be overlooked.
A simple CHS self-check
This is not a diagnostic test, but if you use cannabis regularly, these questions may help you recognize when the topic is worth raising with your doctor:
- Do I use THC-containing cannabis daily or almost daily?
- Have I been using it for a prolonged period?
- Am I experiencing repeated or unexplained episodes of nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain?
- Do very hot showers or baths temporarily relieve my symptoms?
- Have I repeatedly needed medical evaluation without a clear explanation?
- Have the symptoms continued or returned despite apparently normal periods between episodes?
If several of those points sound familiar, please do not simply decide for yourself that you have CHS. But do explicitly tell your doctor or neurologist that you use cannabis. Explain how often, what product you use, approximately how much THC it contains if you know, and how long you have been using it.
That information can be diagnostically important.
CHS can become medically serious
CHS is not simply an unpleasant stomach upset. Repeated vomiting can cause severe dehydration and electrolyte disturbances and may lead to complications requiring hospital treatment.
So if somebody is unable to keep fluids down, becomes confused or very weak, faints, develops severe persistent abdominal pain or otherwise seems seriously unwell, that requires medical assessment.
The important message for people with MS is simple: do not hide cannabis use from your medical team because you are worried about being judged. Your doctors need accurate exposure information in exactly the same way that they need to know which prescription medicines, supplements or other substances you use.
Has CHS increased since cannabis legalization?
This is a point where we need to be very careful with cause and effect.
National Geographic reports that emergency department visits connected with CHS increased markedly between 2017 and 2021. [1] A population-based study from Ontario provides useful additional detail. Researchers examined 12,866 emergency department visits for CHS between 2014 and 2021 and found that the monthly rate rose roughly thirteen-fold over the study period. [11]
However, the study did not find an immediate or gradual jump specifically attributable to legalization itself. The more pronounced increase appeared during the later period of cannabis commercialization, which also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. [11]
That means it would be too simplistic to say “legalization caused CHS to increase.” Several things may be happening at once: more people may use cannabis, existing users may consume it more frequently, products may contain more THC, commercial availability may increase exposure, and clinicians may simply be better at recognizing CHS than they were ten years ago.
All of these explanations can coexist.
Why modern high-potency THC products concern experts
This is probably the clearest warning I want to give in this episode.
Modern cannabis can be very different from the cannabis people remember from previous decades. The National Geographic material I read shared devotes an entire article to the transformation of the market through concentrates, extracts, vape products and edibles. The article describes modern products such as wax, shatter, live resin and other concentrates that can deliver much higher cannabinoid doses than conventional cannabis flower.
That matters because dose matters in pharmacology.
Frequent use and exposure to high-potency THC products repeatedly emerge as concerns in the CHS discussion. We do not have a scientifically established THC threshold below which CHS can never occur or above which it inevitably will occur. But higher exposure means more THC reaching the body, and that is one reason I would be particularly cautious about concentrated products.
For people with MS, there is an additional consideration. If somebody already struggles with balance, dizziness, fatigue, processing speed or memory, a very high THC dose may add precisely the kind of impairment they are already trying to manage.
More is not automatically better.
Edibles create another problem: delayed effects
Edibles deserve their own warning because their timing can be deceptive. When cannabis is inhaled, effects usually begin relatively quickly. When THC is eaten or drunk, onset is slower and much less predictable.
Health Canada warns that it can take up to four hours to feel the full effects of edible cannabis. Consuming more during that waiting period can therefore result in unexpectedly high exposure and adverse effects. [12]
This creates a very understandable mistake: nothing seems to happen, so somebody takes another gummy. Still nothing happens, so they take another. Eventually the first doses begin to take effect and the person has consumed much more THC than intended.
Edible effects can also last much longer than inhaled effects. That is why “one gummy” is not a medically meaningful description of dose. You need to know how much THC is actually contained in that gummy.
CBD, THC, prescription products and recreational products are not interchangeable
I want to pause here and create a mental map.
Because the terminology gets confusing very quickly.
Nabiximols or Sativex is a standardized pharmaceutical cannabis extract with THC and CBD, used in some countries for MS-related spasticity.
Dronabinol is pharmaceutical delta-9-THC.
Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid medicine with THC-like activity.
Prescription medical cannabis flower or extracts may be available under national or regional medical-cannabis laws. The exact composition and regulatory standards depend on the country.
Recreational cannabis flower can contain widely varying amounts of THC and CBD.
THC concentrates include products such as wax, shatter, dabs and highly concentrated vape oils.
Edibles include gummies, chocolates, drinks and other orally consumed products. Their effects are delayed and can last much longer.
CBD consumer products range from oils and capsules to creams and foods. Their legal status, purity and regulatory oversight vary greatly.
Delta-8 THC is another psychoactive cannabinoid that has become particularly relevant in the United States.
And finally:
K2, Spice and similar synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists are not simply “strong marijuana.”
That last distinction is critical.
Why “synthetic cannabinoid” can be a misleading term
When people hear the phrase “synthetic cannabis”, very different substances are often thrown into the same category. Scientifically, that is misleading.
Nabilone, for example, is a pharmaceutical synthetic cannabinoid. It is manufactured as a medicine with defined dosing and quality standards.
K2 and Spice, in contrast, are names used for unregulated synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists. The National Geographic material describes how some of these substances were originally developed as research compounds before appearing on the illicit market, where product composition and concentration may vary dramatically.
So I would not frame the issue as “natural equals safe and synthetic equals dangerous”. That is not how pharmacology works.
A much better distinction is:
regulated medicine with known composition and dosing
versus
unregulated psychoactive products with uncertain composition, potency and contamination risks.
What about delta-8 THC?
For listeners in the United States, delta-8 THC deserves particular attention because hemp-derived cannabinoid products have occupied a rapidly changing regulatory space.
Delta-8 is psychoactive. It should not be treated as harmless simply because a product is labelled “hemp-derived”, and it should not be confused with CBD. At the same time, delta-8 is also not the same substance as the potent synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists sold as K2 or Spice.
This is exactly why product names matter. “Cannabis”, “CBD”, “hemp”, “THC” and “synthetic cannabinoid” are not interchangeable terms.
What does the legal situation look like in Germany?
Cannabis law changes quickly, so this section should always be understood as a snapshot rather than permanent legal advice.
In Germany, the Cannabis Act came into force on 1 April 2024. Medical cannabis is regulated separately under the Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz, or MedCanG, and prescription cannabis medicines continue to require a doctor’s prescription and are dispensed through pharmacies. [13, 14]
That makes Germany a useful example of why the word legal is not enough. Something being legally available for adult non-medical use does not automatically make it an evidence-based medical treatment.
For people with MS in Germany, Sativex remains a particularly clear example of a standardized cannabinoid medicine with an established MS indication for selected people with moderate to severe spasticity. [2]
What about the United States?
The United States is more complicated because federal and state regulation overlap, and the situation continues to evolve.
As of August 2026, the federal government has placed certain FDA-approved marijuana-containing products and certain qualifying state-regulated medical-marijuana products in Schedule III, while the broader federal rescheduling of marijuana itself has remained part of an ongoing administrative process. [15, 16]
Individual state laws still differ substantially. Some states have medical cannabis programmes, some permit adult recreational use, and others are more restrictive.
So if you are listening in the United States, please check the current situation in your own state and at federal level rather than relying on a podcast episode that may remain online for years.
The same principle applies elsewhere.
And for everybody listening elsewhere in the world
Rules concerning cannabis, medical cannabis, CBD, prescription cannabinoids and driving vary enormously from country to country.
Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, Germany and other European countries all regulate these products differently. Some countries approve nabiximols. Others permit various forms of medical cannabis. Others restrict them heavily.
A useful starting point is your national MS organisation, health authority or medicines regulator. The MS International Federation also provides international information and links to national organisations. [6, 17]
If cannabis might help, why not simply try it?
Because symptom management should still begin with understanding the symptom.
Imagine you have pain. Is it neuropathic pain, musculoskeletal pain, pain caused by spasticity, or pain from another condition? The most appropriate treatment may be completely different depending on the cause.
The same applies to sleep. If painful spasms wake you several times per night, improving spasticity may improve your sleep. If your sleep problem comes from depression, sleep apnoea, restless legs, nocturia or medication side effects, cannabis may not address the real problem.
The symptom should guide the treatment rather than the other way around.
Questions I would ask my neurologist
If you are interested in a cannabinoid treatment, you can approach the conversation very openly. You might say:
“I have been reading about cannabinoid-based treatments for MS symptoms. I am not looking to replace my MS treatment, but I would like to understand whether one of these options could help the specific symptom I am struggling with.”
Then I would ask:
- Which symptom are we actually trying to treat?
- How strong is the evidence for cannabinoids for this particular symptom?
- Is there an approved or standardized product available in my country?
- Would nabiximols be appropriate for my situation?
- Could THC worsen my cognition, balance, fatigue, anxiety or dizziness?
- Could THC or CBD interact with my current medications?
- How would we measure whether the treatment is actually helping?
- How long should I try it?
- At what point should I stop?
- Which side effects should make me contact you?
- What exact product, THC concentration, CBD concentration and dose are we talking about?
That final question is especially important because “try cannabis” is not a sufficiently precise medical recommendation.
If you already use cannabis, tell your medical team
People sometimes hesitate to disclose cannabis use because they are afraid of being judged. But your neurologist needs accurate information.
That includes recreational cannabis, medical cannabis, CBD oils, gummies, vapes, cannabis flower and products purchased online or from a dispensary.
You are not giving your neurologist a confession. You are giving them a medication and exposure history.
That information can affect side effects, cognition, balance, driving ability, medication interactions and — as we have discussed — the evaluation of recurrent nausea and vomiting.
Keep track of what you are actually taking
If you and your medical team decide that trying a cannabinoid-based treatment is reasonable, documentation can be extremely useful.
Record the product, amount of THC, amount of CBD, dose, route of administration, how often you take it and which symptom you want to improve. Then track whether that symptom actually changes.
Also record unwanted effects such as dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, memory problems, anxiety, palpitations, balance problems, nausea or gastrointestinal symptoms.
Otherwise it is surprisingly easy to continue something for months without really knowing whether it improved the problem you originally wanted to treat.
My main caution: do not assume that stronger means better
If a cannabinoid can reduce a symptom, it does not follow that a much higher dose will reduce that symptom even more.
At some point, increasing the dose may simply increase impairment and adverse effects.
High-concentration THC products are not merely a stronger version of the cannabis studied decades ago. They can represent a very different level of exposure.
And if somebody uses THC daily or almost daily and develops unexplained recurrent vomiting or abdominal pain, CHS needs to enter the conversation.
Where I think the opportunity lies
After looking at the evidence, I do not come away thinking that cannabinoids should be dismissed. Quite the opposite: I think the cannabis plant is scientifically fascinating.
Its cannabinoid system interacts with processes relevant to pain, muscle tone, cognition and many other functions. We already have an example in MS where a standardized plant-derived preparation can help some patients with difficult-to-treat spasticity.
There may be useful opportunities beyond what we currently understand, and separating the effects of THC, CBD and other compounds may eventually allow us to develop much more precise treatments.
But the future I hope for is not simply one where people use more cannabis. It is one where treatment becomes more precise.
Which molecule? Which ratio? Which formulation? Which dose? Which symptom? Which patient? Which monitoring? And which risk factors?
That is how interesting plant chemistry becomes good medicine.
Where I think the risks lie
The biggest risk may be treating cannabis as one homogeneous, naturally safe product.
It is not.
A standardized pharmaceutical spray and a highly concentrated THC extract cannot be discussed as though they were equivalent. Neither can a pharmacy product and an unregulated synthetic cannabinoid.
High-potency THC products deserve particular caution. Unregulated synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists such as K2 and Spice deserve a strong warning. Edibles require patience because effects can appear much later than expected. Consumer CBD products should not be confused with proven MS treatments.
And frequent, long-term cannabis use can cause cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in susceptible individuals.
That risk deserves much more awareness.
My practical takeaway for people with MS
If you are curious about cannabis because you want less pain, fewer spasms or simply a little more quality of life, I understand that motivation completely.
You do not need to feel embarrassed for being interested.
But interest does not mean you need to experiment alone.
Start with the symptom you want to treat. Look at the evidence for that symptom. Ask whether a standardized medical product is available. Discuss THC and CBD separately rather than using “cannabis” as one broad category. Pay attention to dose and potency, and be particularly cautious with high-THC concentrates and unregulated products.
Remember that oral products can take a long time to reach their full effect. And if you are a frequent cannabis user who develops recurring nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, please put CHS on your list of possible explanations and tell your medical team exactly what you use.
Do not assume that cannabis cannot be involved simply because symptoms do not disappear immediately when you stop.
Finally, if you and your healthcare team decide that a cannabinoid treatment is reasonable, define beforehand what success looks like. Less spasticity? Better sleep? Less neuropathic pain? Fewer nighttime spasms? A meaningful improvement in daily life?
Then monitor that goal.
Because the purpose of treatment is not to use cannabis.
The purpose is to improve your health and quality of life.
And if the treatment starts taking more quality of life away than it gives back, that matters too.
Medical disclaimer: This article provides general information and does not replace individual medical advice. Do not start, stop or change medication or cannabis-based treatment without discussing your individual situation with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
References and resources
1. National Geographic – CHS / Ausgangsartikel: Stacey Colino & Brian Kevin, This strange syndrome is linked to regular cannabis use—and cases have doubled. National Geographic article on cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
2. Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft – Sativex bei MS-Spastik: Die DMSG nennt Sativex als zugelassene Option bei mittelschwerer bis schwerer Spastik, wenn andere Antispastika nicht ausreichend geholfen haben. DMSG: Symptomatische Therapie bei MS
3. Cochrane Review – Cannabinoide zur symptomatischen MS-Therapie: 25 randomisierte Studien mit 3.763 Teilnehmenden; moderate Evidenz für eine Verbesserung subjektiv wahrgenommener Spastik durch Nabiximols, deutlich unsicherere Daten für chronischen neurologischen Schmerz. PubMed: Cannabis and cannabinoids for symptomatic treatment for people with multiple sclerosis
4. Systematic review and meta-analysis – Cannabinoide und MS-Spastik: PubMed: Cannabinoids for spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis
5. Laufende MS-Studie zu THC versus CBD: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06261489. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06261489
6. MS International Federation – Wellness and complementary therapies in MS: Enthält einen aktuellen Abschnitt zu Cannabis, Sativex und CBD. MSIF: Wellness practices and complementary therapies in MS
7. Kever, Meza & Feinstein 2025 – Cannabis und Kognition bei MS: große klinische Stichprobe mit 847 Menschen mit MS. PubMed: Cannabis and cognitive function in multiple sclerosis
8. Systematic review – Cannabis und Kognition bei MS: PubMed: A systematic review of the effects of cannabis on cognition in people with multiple sclerosis
9. Studie zum Cannabis-Verzicht und Kognition bei MS: PubMed: Effects of cannabis abstinence on cognition in people with multiple sclerosis
10. Wissenschaftlicher Review zu CHS von 2025: Jiménez-Castillo et al., Überblick zu Diagnose, Pathophysiologie und Behandlung. PubMed: Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome – A review
11. Ontario-Studie zu CHS vor und nach Legalisierung/Kommerzialisierung: Sehr hilfreich, um nicht fälschlich zu behaupten, Legalisierung allein habe den Anstieg verursacht. PubMed: Changes in emergency department visits for CHS following legalization and commercialization
12. Health Canada – Edibles und verzögerte Wirkung: weist darauf hin, dass es bis zu vier Stunden dauern kann, bis die volle Wirkung oraler Cannabisprodukte spürbar wird. Health Canada: Consumer information on cannabis edibles
13. Bundesgesundheitsministerium – Cannabisgesetz: BMG: Cannabisgesetz
14. Bundesgesundheitsministerium – Cannabis als Medizin / MedCanG: BMG: Fragen und Antworten zu Cannabis als Medizin
15. US Department of Justice – Änderung für bestimmte medizinische Marijuana-Produkte im April 2026: US Department of Justice: Schedule III action for certain medical marijuana products
16. US DEA – laufendes Verfahren zur breiteren Umstufung von Marijuana: DEA: Proposed marijuana rescheduling
17. MS International Federation – Cannabis therapy for MS: internationaler Einstieg mit Hinweis darauf, nationale Rechtslage und medizinische Versorgung jeweils lokal zu prüfen. MSIF: Cannabis therapy for MS
See you soon and try to make the best out of your life,
Nele
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