Canada OKs cannabis drug for MS pain

[Smith]

Lol canada pwns

Canada OKs cannabis drug for MS pain
Last Updated Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:34:34 EDT
CBC News

OTTAWA - A new cannabis-based drug has been approved to relieve nerve pain in people with multiple sclerosis, Health Canada said Tuesday.

* INDEPTH: Marijuana

The drug is derived from marijuana plants.

Sativex is a metred spray, administered under the tongue or inside the cheek. It's derived from extracts of the marijuana plant and is said to taste like peppermint.

Canada is the first country to approve its use, although the drug company Savitex must first do more clinical trials to confirm the effectiveness of the drug.

GW Pharmaceuticals developed the drug, which will be marketed in Canada by Bayer.

"Effective pain control and management are extremely important in a disease like MS," pain expert Dr. Allan Gordon said in a release issued by the companies.

"The approval of Sativex in Canada reflects the urgent need for additional treatment options in the field of neuropathic pain in MS," added Gordon, a neurologist and director of the Wasser Pain Management Centre at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital.

Health Canada confirmed the approval to CBC News.

About 50,000 Canadians have MS. Half of them are estimated to suffer from nerve pain, for which there are few treatments.

Neuropathic or nerve pain can be triggered by touch, temperature or movement.

The companies say Sativex contains tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and cannabidiol as its main components.

The drug works by stimulating cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system, which in turn mediate pain.

During clinical trials, side-effects included nausea, fatigue, dizziness and reactions at the application site. Side-effects were usually mild or moderate in severity and eased at lower doses.

Source


Iwonder if they will approve this for migranes, mabye i can get some

[MagicNakor]

Not surprising really, given the current set of bills set before Parliment.

...Now if only the government lasts long enough to hear them...

[MagicNakor]

The government's a minority one currently, and the Liberals are in the throes of economic scandal- the Gnomery inquiry. There's nothing more the Conservatives want but to call a vote of nonconfidence and force another federal election. The earliest they could (and likely will) is May 18th...but it could be political suicide. The Torries would need support from the Bloc (Quebec seperatists) in order to get such a motion through, and while the Grits recently made a deal with the NDP for the budget...the Bloc is generally too liberal for the Torries to support. We'll see. It'll be interesting.

I'd fear for the social repurcussions if the Torries get put in; however, I can't see a minority Torrie government being able to dictate the way they'd want. A majority one? Scary.

I'm not doing too bad...all work and no play. I read here still, but haven't really seen anything eyecatching.

[JPaul]

Let us hope that the pain relief the cannabis provides is not outweighed by the mental problems it can potentially cause, apparently.