> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Medical cannabis helps Parkinson Disease - study
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/medical_cannabis_parkinson_disease_0427141221/
- Published: 2014-04-27T13:18:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:21:34.000Z
- Description: In 22 Parkinson patients evaluated before and 30 minutes after smoking medical cannabis, mean motor UPDRS scores improved from 33.1 to 23.2, with gains in tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, sleep and pain. No significant adverse effects were seen in this small study.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Drug, Health News, #vivvo-import

Sunday April 27, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study report released recently in Clinical Neuropharmacology shows that smoking medical cannabis or medical marijuana can help treat motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson disease.

For the study, 22 patients with Parkinson disease who attended the motor disorder clinic of a tertiary medical centre in 2011 to 2012 were evaluated for the motor United Parkinson Disease Rating Scale score at baseline and 30 minutes after smoking cannabis.

Smoking medical cannabis improved mean total score on the motor United Parkinson Disease Rating Scale score from 33.1 at baseline to 23.2, which is significant, the study reveals.

Smoking medical cannabis also improved specific motor symptoms in tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia, the study finds.

Additionally, patients with Parkinson disease also experienced a significant improvement in sleep and pain scores after smoking medical cannabis.

No significant adverse effects of medical cannabis were observed in the study. 

The researchers concluded "(medical) cannabis might have a place in the therapeutic armamentarium of PD (Parkinson disease)."

Cannabis as a therapy has been used to treat various medical conditions. Smoking medical cannabis is a powerful painkiller and many cancer patients and those with terminal diseases benefit from smoking cannabis. 

About 20 states have approved medical cannabis but the federal government bans the use of cannabis for any purpose. 

Itay Lotan MD and colleagues conducted the study. (David Liu)