Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to report recent marijuana use than healthy controls (HCs), according to a recent study. Therefore, marijuana use by MS patients may warrant vigilance by MS caregivers, given the shifting social attitudes and trend towards legalization of marijuana in the US. 521 MS patients and 279 HCs from a study of clinical, neuroimaging, genetic, and environmental factors in MS progression, were included. MS patients stated whether they had used marijuana before MS diagnosis, after MS diagnosis, and in the preceding 3 months as part of an in-person questionnaire. HCs provided information on marijuana usage in the past, and preceding 3 months. Researchers found:

• The percentage of MS patients reporting ever-usage of marijuana was 39.9%, which was similar to 32.7% in HCs.
• However, 9.4% of MS patients reported marijuana use in the past 3 months compared to 0.4% of HCs.
• Marijuana usage was more frequent in male MS patients, as well as in MS patients who used complementary alternative medicine.
• Increasing age was associated with decreasing usage.