(Marijuana extract) Cannabis drug on sale in Canada (BBC News)

[Up2Late]

(I bet this was an American Drug Corp., * would be pushing hard for this product.)

Cannabis drug on sale in Canada

Monday, 20 June, 2005, 12:04 GMT 13:04 UK

The world's first cannabis-based drug has gone on sale in Canada, and the UK firm which developed it says it remains committed winning a UK sales license.

Sativex is a mouth spray for multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers, who can use it to alleviate pain. GW Pharmaceuticals said it remains "committed to securing approval of Sativex across Europe and elsewhere".

GW Pharmaceuticals has been asked to provide more data to support its application for a UK licence. Sativex contains the same active ingredients as cannabis - tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.

'Milestone'

GW Pharmaceuticals said the Canadian market launch of Sativex was a "transforming event" for the company. It marked "not only our first successful product launch but the first launch of a cannabis derived prescription medicine anywhere in the world", the Salisbury-based firm said. GW Pharmaceuticals also announced its pre-tax losses narrowed to £5.9m in the six months to 31 March, compared to £7.9m year-earlier. It is now looking forward to getting its first sales revenues.

(more at link above)

Here's the Press Release from GW Pharmaceuticals

<http://www.gwpharm.com/news_press_releases.asp>

[Village Idiot]

1. I truly hope no one ever uses this...

This will do irreparable damage to the decriminalization crowd, and is a first step towards allowing Big Pharma to begin to control not only cannabis derivatives, but cannabis itself...

[Maple]

2. Surely you jest

[Dogmudgeon]

3. "I want my, I want my, I want my L-S-D!"

Money from sick folks, and yer drugs for free!

(Insert Knopfler guitar figure here.)

--p!

[Up2Late]

4. I hope your joking too, but I have had the same thoughts

But in the last few months, several studies have show Marijuana to be something close to a "miracle drug" when the dozens of it's various components are extracted and isolated. But because of our foolish anti-Marijuana Laws, research has been slowed to a crawl or sent overseas.

Here a few links to some recent articles:

Wednesday, 9 June, 2004, 10:07 GMT 11:07 UK
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3790227.stm>

Cannabis drug cuts arthritis pain

A drug made from an extract of cannabis has helped to reduce the pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 22 February, 2005, 23:52 GMT
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4286435.stm>
Marijuana may block Alzheimer's
The active ingredient in marijuana may stall decline from Alzheimer's disease, research suggests.

Scientists showed a synthetic version of the compound may reduce inflammation associated with Alzheimer's and thus help to prevent mental decline.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, 3 June, 2005, 14:03 GMT 15:03 UK

'Cannabis' may help mentally ill
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4606475.stm>
Chemicals found in cannabis could be used to relieve symptoms of severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, researchers have claimed.

[getmeouttahere]

5. They will never, ever...

decriminalize pot in the U.S., too many fundies making too much noise. Now if you're talking about the Canadian decriminalization crowd, that's quite a different story.

[High Plains]

7. Pot is already decriminalized in about a third of the country

In those states, possession of small amounts (or in Ohio, up to a quarter pound!) is only a ticketable offense.

Of course, growing or selling pot remains a crime even in the decrim states. Whether we will ever see pot legalized in the US is an open question, but decrim has been the law of the land for 20 or 30 years in many states.

[High Plains]

6. We need to watch GW

the manufacturers of Sativex. There are some indications that GW, in alliance with Bayer, which is marketing the stuff in Canada, is trying to position itself as the purveyors of the "anti-medical marijuana." Who needs medical marijuana when you have Sativex? GW recently hired former deputy drug czar Andrea Barthwell, who helped sabotage the Illinois medical marijuana bill earlier this year.

The marijuana reform people supported GW in its attempts to get its product recognized, and some even bought stock in the company. Now they have to wonder what they got into.

Also, a bottle of the stuff is going for about $90 US for a 10-day supply. Not cheap.

[arikara]

8. That's the bingo right there

they need to be able to patent something in order to rake in the profits. However $90 for ten day supply seems cheap compared to their preferred usual rates of thousands for a months supply.

[Up2Late]

9. I predict when this drug goes generic, the U.S. will make it...

... legal to sell in the U.S.

Mark My Words! As God as My Witness!