Updated on August 24th, 2023
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a group of rare neurological diseases. In the UK it is called Motor Neurons Disease (MND) because neurons (nerve cells) that are responsible for voluntary muscle movement control are affected by the disease. In other words, the motor neurons in our body are depleted by ALS/MND.
Scientific studies have shown that CBD for ALS slows down the disease far better than the only approved ‘Big Pharma” drugs Riluzole and Andarazone. CBD reduces pain and also treats symptoms such as appetite loss, depression, pain, drooling and spasticity.
The ALS assosiation reports that about 20,000 people in the US have ALS and just over 6000 new diagnoses are added each year (more than 15 new cases each day).
The depletion of motor neurons caused by ALS leads to loss of control of several vital body functions like limb control, breathing, swallowing, speech and overall cellular dysfunction. Men are 20% more likely to be affected by ALS than women. The disease mainly affects people between the ages of 40 and 70.
According to an ALS Association publication, 93% of the reported cases are Caucasian, but other sources report that ALS does not know ethnic or racial boundaries and the high Caucasian percentage is because it is often not diagnosed or reported amongst non-Caucasions.
CBD for extending the lives of ALS patients
Laboratory studies
In 2006, a lab study on mice revealed that synthetic cannabinoids significantly delay the progression of ALS. This showed that cannabinoids have substantial neuroprotective effects.
In 2010, preclinical studies indicated that cannabis has powerful antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. In lab mice, this led to prolonged neuronal cell survival, delayed onset, and slower progression of the disease. The lives of the mice were extended by six days, which translates into three years for humans.
This 2010 lab study on mice also revealed that cannabis has symptom-reducing properties like pain relief (analgesia), muscle relaxation, bronchodilation, saliva reduction, appetite stimulation, and sleep induction. It is very common to treat pain with CBD and there is a lot of scientific and anecdotal evidence to back it up.
Clinical studies
Besides having only a few lab studies in relation to cannabis and ALS disease, there is a complete lack so far of clinical studies concerning the promising properties of CBD and cannabis. One case report, started in 2017 is underway, but results have not yet been reported.
Anecdotal studies
In contrast, there is a huge amount of anecdotal evidence available. According to the ALS Association, the life expectancy of ALS patients is as follows:
Cathy Jordan has suffered for more than three decades from ALS (since 1985) and has outlived many of her doctors who died and retired along the way. She claims that she has managed to stay alive and lead a relatively normal life because she has been smoking cannabis since 1989.
Her remarkable story is not only about the healing powers of cannabis, but also characterizes very specifically what is wrong with our medical system. She was met with disbelieve, ignorance and downright obstruction by some doctors. Her cannabis grower was arrested and put in jail with a 20-year sentence, and still today (2018) she is suing for the right to smoke marijuana that she so desperately needs to stay alive.
She has lived for 33 years of her life with ALS and has joined Stephen Hawking as one of the longest living ALS patients in the world.
You have outlived your expiriation date
You must prove that you are still alive
In 1996, the federal government sent Cathy Jordan a letter, literally saying that she had outlived her expiration date and needed to prove that she was still alive.
Big Pharma ALS medication
Currently, there is no cure for ALS. The FDA has approved two drugs for the treatment of ALS, Riluzole (since 1995), and Edaravone/Radicava (since 2017). Edaravone was the first ALS drug in 22 years to be approved after Riluzole.
Clinical trials with Riluzole on patients with ALS show that Riluzole prolongs survival by a few months, but it does not stop the disease or reverse any damage already caused. Edaravone has shown to slow down the decline in ALS patients. Unfortunately, both ‘big pharma’ drugs have many harmful side effects, ranging from mild to severe.
Negative side effects of approved ALS medication
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Dark urine
- Clay-colored stools
- Jaundice
- Chills
- Body aches
- Flu-like symptoms
- Chest discomfort
- Stabbing chest pain
- Dry cough
- Cough with yellow or green mucus
- Trouble breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Spinning sensation
- Muscle stiffness
- Weakness
- Drowsiness
- Numbness in or around mouth
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Headaches
- Running nose
CBD oil dosage for ALS
The CBD oil quality is very important, as tests show that there is often a lot less CBD content than the manufacturer claims, or the THC content is larger and above the legal limit. Quality CBD oil is always tested in an independent lab to ensure the consistent quality that consumers expect.
CBD is made from industrial hemp, while THC is often derived from cannabis. There are distinct differences between hemp and cannabis. Often there is confusion surrounding what CBD oil is.
Don’t worry if you can’t figure out how much drops to take for the right dosage in milligrams. Just use our Calculator for CBD dosage.
An isolated CBD oil is less effective than full spectrum CBD oils containing several other cannabinoids in small concentrations. The entourage effect that full-spectrum oil creates boosts the health effects of the supplement.
The CBD dosage level for ALS patients starts with 40 mg per day in two servings. Monitor the effects for a couple of days and increase by 40 mg every couple of days until the desired CBD effects are reached. It is impossible to overdose on CBD, and you can experiment to find a dosage that works best for you.
Patients with severe conditions have reported taking a couple of hundred milligrams a day to stop the disease in its tracks. Generally, people take 25 grams a day as a maintenance dosage, but it is also advised to test and find the best level that works for you.
Cancer patients will have to follow a cannabis dosage roadmap based on the experiences of people who have had great results with a combination of THC oil and CBD oil. CBD dosage for cancer can be done without a roadmap and does not need to be ramped up as it does not cause cognitive impairment like THC (cannabis oil). Neither CBD oil nor cannabis oil has harmful side effects.
It is not uncommon for patients with serious conditions like neurodegenerative diseases or cancer to become depressed. Often this is even induced or stimulated by the big pharma medication prescribed. Scientific studies have confirmed the anecdotal evidence of positive results from treating depression with CBD.
How to take CBD oil
The most common way to take CBD oil is to put the drops under your tongue and keep them there for at least one minute to let your body absorb the CBD. Most oils are thick, and the CBD oil bottle needs to be put in a glass of warm water to make it fluid enough so you can get something out of the dropper.
But you can also mix it with water or another kind of drink or food. If you don’t like the taste, combine the oil with a teaspoon of honey. Just be aware that when the oil has to go through your digestive tract, it will take longer (a couple of hours) to take effect.
CBD properties that affect specific ALS symptoms
- ALS Symptom
- Pain
- Spasticity
- Loss of appetite
- Dyspnea
- Drooling
- Depression
- Disorder of the autonomic nervous system
- Neuronal oxidation and depletion
- CBD Effect
- Natural pain relief
- Muscle relaxant
- Appetite stimulant
- Bronchodilation
- Saliva reduction
- Mood balancing
- Vasodilitation
- Neuroprotective antioxidant
Success Stories of ALS Patients
We have carefully collected CBD testimonials for this particular condition to serve as proof and inspiration to others. Do not hesitate to record your own experience and share it with us so that we can add it to this list and help thousands more patients.
Overview of Scientific Studies and Reports
If you are interested in the medical proof and not scared of reading through some professional medical jargon, check out the studies below.
Scientific Research Studies on ALS disease
- 2004 – Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: delayed disease progression in mice by treatment with a cannabinoid.
- 2005 – Cannabinol delays symptom onset in SOD1 (G93A) transgenic mice without affecting survival.
- 2006 – Increasing cannabinoid levels by pharmacological and genetic manipulation delay disease progression in SOD1 mice.
- 2007 – The CB2 cannabinoid agonist AM-1241 prolongs survival in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis when initiated at symptom onset.
- 2008 – The endocannabinoid system in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- 2008 – Altered presymptomatic AMPA and cannabinoid receptor trafficking in motor neurons of ALS model mice: implications for excitotoxicity.
- 2010 – Abnormal sensitivity of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the striatum of mice with experimental amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- 2010 – Cannabis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: hypothetical and practical applications, and a call for clinical trials.
- 2014 – Cathy Jordan Medical Marijuana Patient with ALS Outlives her Doctors
- 2014 – Clinical features in association with neurodegenerative diseases and malignancies.
- 2015 – Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
- 2016 – Can cannabinoids be a potential therapeutic tool in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
- 2017 – Self-medication with cannabidiol oil in a patient with primary lateral sclerosis
- 2017 – Neurological aspects of medical use of CBD
- 2018 – Cathy Jordan Why can’t this ALS patient be allowed to smoke medical marijuana?
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