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While traveling years ago, Natasha Acoff experienced numbness on the left side of her body, leading her to seek emergency care. After receiving a preliminary diagnosis, she left with an informational pamphlet on multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease she knew little about.
“I went back to my hotel, and I started reading it, and I mean, I boo-hoo cried. I cried because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm about to die!’” she recalls.
MS is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system, causing symptoms like vision problems, muscle weakness, fatigue, and cognitive impairments. Though its cause is unknown, some research points to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection as a leading candidate, and women are more likely to be diagnosed than men.
Since her diagnosis, Ms. Acoff has become a National Multiple Sclerosis Society ambassador and founded On My Nerves Inc., a Tallahassee-based nonprofit supporting MS patients. She has been on a disease-modifying therapy for 11 years but has never tried medical marijuana. A discussion with Dr. Terel Newton, however, opened her mind to the potential benefits.
“It's definitely something that I'd think about or will think about for my spasms, for potentially sleeping, or for even pain,” she states.
Dr. Newton is a board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain specialist based in Jacksonville. He serves as Florida's medical director for Trulieve, is a certified medical marijuana physician, and authored Endocannabinoid Medicine & Pharmacology: A Guide for Physicians and Pharmacists. “Cannabis can serve as a rescue treatment for many patients and potentially slow the progression [of MS],” he explains.
Medical cannabis options include cannabidiol (CBD) for inflammation and low-THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) products like topicals, edibles, capsules, and flower. “The great thing about cannabis is there's more flexibility,” Dr. Newton says.
Dr. Newton advises MS patients to consult their doctors before trying cannabis. He also recommends exercise, vitamin D, sunlight, and an anti-inflammatory diet to reduce flare-ups. Ms. Acoff advocates for the value of education: “It’s really helpful for a lot of people with MS … to understand the best way we can treat ourselves.”
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