Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a sickness that harms the covering of nerves in your body. It happens when your immune system, which helps your body fight off germs, attacks the covering of your nerves by mistake. This makes it hard for your nerves to send signals, which can cause your

muscles to move in strange ways.

Inside your body, there's something called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). It helps control how your nerves send signals. In the ECS, there are special parts called cannabinoid receptors

(CB1) that help keep everything working smoothly. When these receptors are activated, they help calm down the signals in your nerves.

THC and CBD are two substances found in cannabis that can help reduce swelling and damage to your nerve cells and their covering. These two components also help widen the blood vessels in your brain, which brings more blood to the parts of your brain and nerves that need help

healing.

A big study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2015 looked at lots of evidence about using medicines made from cannabis to help with muscle stiffness in MS. The study found that these medicines could help people with MS feel less stiff

and in less pain.

Another large review of many clinical trials in 2022 looked at how well cannabis medicines worked for MS symptoms. This study also reported that these medicines could help with MS spasticity, but they could also cause some problems like feeling more tired or having trouble

keeping your balance.

It's important to be careful when starting to use cannabis medicines if you have MS. They can make you feel more tired or dizzy, which might make you more likely to fall and be injured. Also, they can make some problems that happen as MS progresses, like feeling dizzy or having a fast heartbeat, even worse.

THC and CBD need your liver to break them down. Many other medicines you might be taking also need your liver to work. So, if you start using cannabis medicines, it's important to talk with your cannabis provider and your pharmacist about how they might affect the other medicines you're taking.

If you start taking cannabis-based medication for MS, it is very important to start with a small amount of cannabis medicine and increase the dose slowly over time. It is also critical that your

doctors and family keep a close eye on you to make sure it's helping you and not causing any problems. Your doctors, pharmacist, physical therapist, and family all need to work together to

make sure cannabis medicine helps you feel better.