The Idaho House recently approved a bill that would permit the use of medicinal sprays that originate from marijuana for “multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders.” According to the Idaho legislature, the medicinal spray to be approved is Nabiximols which is an “oromucosal spray” that is typically sprayed under the tongue. The bill still has to pass the Senate but this is a huge step forward for those battling neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis.

For those unfamiliar, multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the nerves. According to the Mayo Clinic, the immune system disrupts the flow between the brain and the body which can lead to an assortment of issues ranging from numbness to vision problems.

Understanding Living with Multiple Sclerosis

When my fiancée and I first started dating, I would have never known the everyday battle she was dealing with. When she revealed to me that she was diagnosed with MS about a week before her 21st birthday, I felt a lot of empathy but also had no idea what multiple sclerosis entailed. I did more research and read about how it attacks the nervous system but couldn’t really grasp what it meant for someone to live their everyday life with that going on in their body.

Fast-forward to now: we’re engaged and have two beautiful daughters. In that time, I learned more about the symptoms of MS and what it can do to a person. From slurring your speech to not being able to walk because you can’t feel your legs, there are so many little things that we take for granted. She has good days and off-days but she battles through every day. Because MS affects the nervous system, treatment is a bit more complicated.

Treating Multiple Sclerosis

Treatment for MS can be expensive. I won’t lie to you and say I can name all the medicines my fiancée has been put on, but I know that her infusion was IVIG which is expensive. How expensive? I’ll let you look up the cost but it ain’t cheap!

Through the years, her treatments would change based on "the latest research" at that time. What's even crazier is how there were certain medicines she was being put on that were later discovered to have much more dangerous side effects than previously known at the time. What happens then? Onto the next medication, with no guarantee that it would alleviate the symptoms and it still comes with a hefty price tag.

Photo by Christina Victoria Craft on Unsplash
Photo by Christina Victoria Craft on Unsplash
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Now, a lot of the time the infusions did their job but as I saw in my fiancee, it can be taxing on the body. Also, aside from cost, it has several side effects that come with trying to alleviate the already draining MS symptoms.

This is where alternative medicine can play a huge role.

Give Cannabis a Chance

It’s no secret that our neighboring states are cashing in on the marijuana industry yet it’s still a topic of debate here in the Gem State. While we can argue all day about how much money Idaho is missing out on, the biggest thing Idaho is missing out on is offering those living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders a medium to relief.

It would be so much more cost-effective to alleviate symptoms of neurological diseases going the cannabis route while still allowing medical science to continue their research into a permanent cure for various neurological diseases, MS included.

With all of the side effects that come with infusions, pills, and other forms of medicine, why not give cannabis a chance?

For more information on the bill passed, you can read more here.

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