Cerebral Palsy Approved for Patient Medical Marijuana Use in Michigan

Michigan has added cerebral palsy to the list of debilitating health conditions eligible to be treated with medical marijuana.

Following unanimous recommended approval by the five-member Medical Marijuana Review Panel, and pursuant to the Michigan Marijuana Act of 2008, (MCL 333.26423) the disease was approved March 8 by the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), according to a news release.

Effective immediately, the decision comes following a public hearing last month related to petitions seeking the addition of cerebral palsy to a roster of some two dozen approved medical conditions for medical marijuana in Michigan.

Those conditions include AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, arthritis, autism, Parkinson’s disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, Crohn’s disease, nail-patella syndrome, cancer, glaucoma and hepatitis C.

The Michigan Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP) is a state registry program within the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation. The program administers the Michigan Marijuana Act and, in accordance with the law, protects the public and participants’ confidentiality.

To date, there has been no high-quality study demonstrating the effects of medical cannabis on cerebral palsy patients. However, the therapy’s prospects as treatment for some cerebral palsy symptoms have been explored in some measure.

One survey study on pain therapies used by cerebral palsy patients, published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, found that the “treatment that was rated as providing the most relief was marijuana; however, less than 5 percent of the same reported ever using this drug for pain.” Additionally, a case study published in Reviews in Neurological Diseases found that a 45-year-old man with cerebral palsy and epilepsy showed “marked improvement with the use of marijuana.”

Cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture caused by damage to the immature, developing brain, commonly before birth. In general, the disease can cause impaired movement associated with abnormal reflexes, floppiness or rigidity of the limbs and trunk, abnormal posture, involuntary movements, and unsteady walking. Motor disability can range from minimal to profound, depending on the individual.

Go to the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation’s webpage for more information on marijuana regulation in Michigan.