The Effects of Different Medical Marijuana Strains on Motor and Cognitive Function in People With Multiple Sclerosis
Status:
Withdrawn
Trial end date:
2018-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Over the last two years, the United States has witnessed enormous change concerning the
acceptance of marijuana. The number of persons with MS (PwMS) using cannabis to treat their
symptoms is expected to rise, and it is important to provide clinicians and PwMS with
evidence based information on the safety and effectiveness of marijuana. In addition,
scientists need to identify the effects of medical marijuana as the compound action of
different cannabinoids, specifically tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). The
ratio of CBD to THC may have an important impact on the effects of the marijuana, which in
turn may have important implications for the medical benefits. The overarching goal of this
study is to advance a better understanding of the potential positive and negative effects
associated with different strains of marijuana, using an interventional design. The
investigators will examine three strains that differ markedly on THC potency (A. THC <1%, CBD
> 10%; B. THC >10%, CBD < 1%; C. THC 510%, CBD 510%) to determine whether the level of THC is
associated with differences in motor and cognitive functions in PwMS. One hundred PwMS will
be recruited for this project and followed for 3 months following designation to one of three
strains of marijuana with different ratios of CBD to THC or a placebo marijuana (THC 0%, CBD
0%). It is hypothesized that the strains with a high CBD to THC ratios will demonstrate the
most benefits on measures of motor and cognitive function.