A group is calling for doctors to be able to prescribe cannabis and for pharmacies to fill the prescription. The End our pain campaign claims that ‘as many as 1 million people across the UK rely on cannabis for medical reasons’ and are calling for a change in the law, in line with other countries such as the USA, France and Germany.

The use of cannabis in MS has long been an area of controversy. Some people with MS use medicinal cannabis to help with muscle stiffness (spasticity) and pain caused by their MS and believe that they gain significant benefit and it helps them to manage their symptoms but there is concern that the benefits of the drug are often offset by risk of side-effects. In 2014 a comprehensive review of studies reported that oral cannabis extract is effective in managing central pain and painful spasms in people with MS, but that there are drawbacks to its use. The review showed the risk for serious psychological effects overall to be about 1%, or 1 in 100 people. There are also anecdotal reports that it can help people with their pain, but these reports highlight that more research is needed.

There is a licensed cannabis-based drug to help with muscle spasticity. Sativex is available in Wales on the NHS, but both England and Scotland have rejected its use. The new campaign focuses on the use of medicinal cannabis specifically for pain relief.

Amy Bowen, Director of Service Development at the MS Trust says,

"The MS Trust does not endorse or condone the use of illegal cannabis. We do recognise how difficult MS pain and muscle spasticity can be. We want to ensure that everyone with MS is able to see an MS specialist team who can advise them on the medicines, therapies and self-care strategies to help improve these difficult and burdensome symptoms. We also recognise that people with MS will make their personal health and lifestyle choices, but this should never be because they were not able to access the specialist care they need."

If you are struggling with muscle spasticity or pain, we strongly encourage you to seek support from your MS team. This could be your MS nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or your neurologist. They can look at these symptoms in the context of your overall MS and suggest a range of strategies that could help. You can also find reliable information about MS symptoms and treatments in our A-Z of MS. This includes information about treatment options and suggestions on how you can manage symptoms yourself to decrease their impact.