On 14 September an International Week on MS has begun in Basel. Parallel with a meeting of MS societies of 36 countries there is a first joined congress of the American and European Committee for the Treatment and Research of MS. 2,800 participants are expected in Basel.

A workshop on the possibilities and limits of hemp (cannabis) for the alleviation of MS symptoms caused great interest. Participants reported of positive experiences, but were irritated by the prohibition of cannabis. Dr. Claude Vaney, head physician of the department for neurology of the "Hoehenklinik Montana" in Bern, who chaired the workshop, said: "Cannabis can be an effective alternative for patients that do not respond to ordinary drugs."

People do not seek getting high, Vaney told the audience about his experiences with MS patients, that use cannabis. About every second of his patients ask him about hemp. He called the muscle relaxing effect of the drug "evident", and the pain mitigating effect was "clearly demonstrated" in animal experiments.

However, he does not want to give a general recommendation before the action has not been demonstrated in a clinical study. In co-operation with the Ministry of Health Vaney is preparing such a study. The Swiss MS Society is speaking up for a legalization of the medical use of hemp within the planned revision of the Swiss Narcotics Act. Besides, the self-medication with cannabis is largely tolerated by the authorities in different cantons.

Claudia Zbinden and Madeleine Lers of the MS Self-Help-Group DeutschFreiburg have installed an info-phone for hemp and MS.
"Patients do not all react equally," says Madeleine Lers. But the great majority of the feedback is positive.

Info-phone MS and hemp:
+41 (0)79 217 54 43 (Claudia Zbinden), +41 (0)79 330 66 03 (Madeleine Lers).

(Source: Basler Zeitung of 14 and 15 September 1999 )