Tamela Stuchiner, MA, Research Analyst at the Providence Brain and Spine Institute, et al., stated the following in their Apr. 8, 2014 study titled “Use of Medical Marijuana for Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) among Participants of the Pacific Northwest MS Registry,” published in Neurology : “A survey including demographic information, symptoms, disability status, quality of life, use of MS [multiple sclerosis] medications, and alternative therapies in persons 18 or older with MS, was mailed to registry participants in 2013… RESULTS: Sixty-six percent (n=1,283) of surveys were returned. Of those responding, 8.3% (n=107) reported currently using cannabis to treat MS symptoms… Fatigue; numbness, tingling or pain; and heat sensitivity were more prevalent among cannabis users. Cannabis users reported being more disabled… and had worse physical and psychological impact scores… CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that users of cannabis for symptom management reported more disabling symptoms and higher impact of MS on quality of life. This illustrates the need for more options to be provided in the management of MS symptoms.”

Apr. 8, 2014 – Tamela Stuchiner, MA [Editor’s Note: We had originally classified this study as “Con” based on the conclusions, but in a Feb. 10, 2016 email to ProCon.org, study author Tamela Stuchiner explained why the results are “Not Clearly Pro or Con,” stating: “This was a cross-sectional, descriptive analysis in of those persons in our MS population who reported using cannabis for their MS symptoms. As this is what was reported at one point in time, there is no way to know if the cannabis made their symptoms worse. What we did find is that those using cannabis at that time reported the occurrence of some symptoms more than others. This suggests further study is needed. We plan a sub-study for those reporting use of cannabis to determine a relationship. But at this time, no negative relationship can be reported from this data. It is inconclusive.”]