Pubdate: Thu, 21 Apr 2005
Source: New York City Newsday (NY)
Copyright: 2005 Newsday, Inc.
Contact: http://cf.newsday.com/newsdayemail/email.cfm
Website: http://www.nynewsday.com/news/printedition/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3362
Author: Eric Bailey, Los Angeles Times
Cited: GW Pharmaceuticals http://www.gwpharm.com/
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project http://www.mpp.org
Cited: Americans for Safe Access http://www.safeaccessnow.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Sativex (Sativex)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

CANADA OKS POT MEDICINE

Cannabis-Derived Prescription Drug for MS to Be Sold There Soon; Approval
Reopens the Debate in the U.S. 		

Canada is the first nation to approve a pharmaceutical spray derived
from the cannabis plant, a move that could rattle the medical
marijuana debate in the United States.

The new drug, Sativex, is produced by GW Pharmaceuticals of Britain
and is expected to be available on pharmacy shelves in Canada within
weeks, principally for the treatment of pain from multiple sclerosis.

"I think the Canadian approval will change an awful lot of things,"
said Geoffrey Guy, GW Pharmaceuticals executive chairman. In
particular, Guy said, it could help "create momentum" for approval in
other countries, including the United States.

The company isn't expected to apply for approval in the United States
until late this year. A study of the drug's merits could take three to
five years. But Canadian approval, announced Tuesday, is already
creating ripples in the United States.

Bush administration officials declined comment but have said privately
that approval of a prescription form of cannabis here might ease
wrangling by drawing a line between real patients and recreational
users.

Some medical marijuana activists see approval of Sativex as proof
cannabis is indeed a worthy medicine. "Sativex is for all practical
purposes liquid marijuana, so the question of whether marijuana is
medicine has been settled," said Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy
Project. "The only question is what form people use, and that's best
left to doctors and patients."

Meanwhile, a few activists have vowed to travel to Canada for Sativex
rather than await the drug's approval here. "It's not the fault of MS
patients that the United States is so far behind in medical marijuana
research and development," said Steph Sherer of Americans for Safe
Access, a Berkeley, Calif.-based medicinal marijuana advocacy group.

Ten states allow medical marijuana, but the federal government
maintains strict prohibitions. The Supreme Court is expected to soon
decide a case involving two California women who smoke marijuana to
assuage illnesses.

Sativex gives physicians more consistent quality and ability to set
standardized dosages. "I think physicians will feel a lot more
comfortable with this," said Dr. David Bearman, a Santa Barbara,
Calif., internist who specialized in medical marijuana. "One of the
reasons cannabis fell out of favor was a lack of standardization."

The spray, laced with a peppermint taste, contains no carcinogenic
smoke, Guy said, and patients in trials reported that they could avoid
the drug's intoxicating effects once they discovered which dose worked
best for them. 
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