cannabisnews.com: Cannabis Medicine 'On Sale This Year' 





Cannabis Medicine 'On Sale This Year' 
Posted by CN Staff on March 22, 2003 at 07:54:07 PT
By Alan Travis, Home Affairs Editor
Source: Guardian Unlimited
The first cannabis-based prescription medicines for more than 30 years will be available in high street chemists this year, the drugs minister, Bob Ainsworth, revealed yesterday. GW Pharmaceuticals, which was licensed by the Home Office to carry out clinical research trials on cannabis, has submitted "an extremely positive" report to the medicines control agency before final approval. 
"We could be in a situation where we are able to make cannabis-derived medicines available before the end of the year," Mr Ainsworth told MPs. The drug company has been testing an under-the-tongue spray in trials involving about 350 patients. The spray has been useful in treating multiple sclerosis and helps reduce nerve damage pain and sleep disturbance. Additional trials looking at its effectiveness in treating pain in cancer and spinal cord injury are under way. GW says it is discussing the marketing of its new product with several drugs companies. The main ingredient in the cannabis-derived medicines does not contain the active substance found in recreational cannabis and so patients taking the new drugs will not become intoxicated. Their prescriptions will not be subject to the international treaties banning the production and sale of cannabis. Cannabis-based medicines were outlawed in 1968 after legislation banned doctors from prescribing tincture of cannabis which contained a high concentration of the active THC psychotropic ingredient which was popular among some recreational cannabis users. While Mr Ainsworth was able to report "really good progress" to MPs on medicinal cannabis, he was less forthcoming when challenged over new research reported earlier this week in the Guardian, which showed that as much as half the cannabis smoked in Britain may be homegrown. Mr Ainsworth told the Commons home affairs select committee that the government would not adopt a lenient approach to those who cultivated cannabis for personal use. "We feel that the courts should deal with that. It is down to the courts to apply their discretion. We have no intention of being more lenient on what is the production of an illegal substance," he told Chris Mullin, chairman of the committee which questioned him on the issue. "I don't think the courts deal with a serious international drug trafficker in the same way as the people you are talking about," Mr Ainsworth said. The minister also indicated that plans to prescribe heroin to drug addicts who do not respond to methadone treatment had run into a new problem. He said that some supermarkets had made it clear that they would be unwilling to allow medicinal heroin to be prescribed in their new pharmacy departments. Mr Ainsworth said he would raise the matter with the Department of Trade and Industry, which is to rule on an office of fair trading inquiry into the supermarkets' expansion into the pharmacy trade. New Home Office guidance to doctors on prescribing heroin is to be issued next month. One aim is to boost the number of doctors willing to treat class-A drug addicts. Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: Alan Travis, Home Affairs EditorPublished: Saturday, March 22, 2003Copyright: 2003 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Site:GW Pharmaceuticalshttp://www.gwpharm.com/GW Sets Up Launch of Cannabis Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15203.shtmlHigh Hopes for Cannabis on Prescription http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14701.shtmlTrials Show Cannabis Spray Helps MS Patients http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14667.shtml
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on April 02, 2003 at 10:54:12 PT
Cannabis Spray Soothes GW 
By Neil HumeWednesday April 2, 2003The Guardian Late whispers that GW Pharmaceuticals is poised to sign a licensing deal for an important product - an under the tongue cannabis spray - helped to break the company above the 180p level for the first time in two months. Complete Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,927842,00.html
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on March 23, 2003 at 13:02:19 PT
One More Comment
I want to explain more why I am happy about the under the tongue spray. My father in law before he passed away asked his nurse if marijuana might help him with the pain. She said yes but it is illegal. My son was answered by his nurse almost the same way. When you see people suffering and they are too weak to consume cannabis, this spray would be a god send. I know that if I was very sick and hospitalized I would want that option. It isn't an issue with me if it is the plant or a new medicine. They both will help people feel better and that is why it's really a good thing I believe.
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Comment #10 posted by charmed quark on March 22, 2003 at 17:25:46 PT
Pharmaceuticals
While I would rather avoid the expensive and less effective pharmaceuticals, I live in a part of the country with no medical cannabis laws. Pharmaceuticals are better than jail when one is sick.I look forward to the availability of the GW products. The Marinol I use takes over 2 hours to reach its peak level, and is not as effective as whole cannabis. I assume the GW products will be better on both counts. But Marinol is better than nothing.-Pete
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on March 22, 2003 at 14:53:47 PT
Just a Note
For me pharmaceuticals are out of the question but for those who need to receive cannabis medicine without smoking, eating or vaporizing it is a good thing. Some people are too sick to enjoy the whole plant and for those people I am very happy that they will have this option.
Medical Marijuana Information Links
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Comment #8 posted by Global_Warming on March 22, 2003 at 14:41:38 PT:
McReefer
Sounds like more of the same big drug company scams...Just think how easy it would be to make cannabis legal, McDonalds could supply a thin joint with every BigMac, hmmm, when the munchies kickin I wish I had 2..
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Comment #7 posted by freedom fighter on March 22, 2003 at 12:51:50 PT
Since these Facists think
they own my body, I really wonder what happend if I choose to pick a Dutch Doctor over an America Doctor and got a scrip to treat whatever ails me, what would the compassionated United States do to me if I flew back in with my scrips and my med?Is'nt that amazing if I felt not too good, I am supposed to call White House to find out wither if I have a right to choose my own doctor?? What the heck, there probably millions rules and regulations all design to do just one thing..Put me in a cage if I should dare choose a Dutch doctor who happens to think I should be treat with Cannabis..I wondered what would be the result of a poll among the congresscritters if they even knew what GW Pharmaceuticals have been doing these years..Which brings exactly to this point, is Prohibition of Cannabis harmless?ffPS) Digusting Title of the day "Marines lay their hands on a ‘jewel’" http://www.msnbc.com/news/889098.asp?0sl=-12 
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Comment #6 posted by lombar on March 22, 2003 at 12:13:48 PT
Nothing short of FULL legalisation is acceptable.
Don't count on it. If the US accepted this alternative, how could they continue to claim "cannabis is not medicine"??? Since there will always be 'poor' who cannot afford the pharmacuetical, still jail for them I guess. Unless there's some doublethink I'm missing...they have already shown that they would rather have people suffer rather than smoke some cannabis.Netherlands: Marijuana Legally Sold in Dutch Pharmacies
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n430/a08.html?397
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Comment #5 posted by Virgil on March 22, 2003 at 11:36:23 PT
Cannabis will find the pain
It won't be long now before cannabis makes its legal return to the world stage. In a society where CYA is the first rule of employment and rule 1 through 10 for government employees working for a pension, how do they think people are going to feel when the brainwashington wears off in regards to the miracle that is cannabis, both as food and as medicine, as well as being the best recreational experience known to man. Cannabis is not number 1 for nothing. If it were a dangerous drug it surely would not be number 1 and there would be some bodies and mourning family members somewhere.Pot-tv for March 21st launches into our spring campaign for reform of being governed by insanity with Loretta Nall speaking out as guest host- http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1841.html I think she was introduced as president of the USMP. I would say that the prohibitionist have a fight coming at their insane cannabis laws and corruption by this Army of One. She is something to be feared by a group of people with no reason to stand on. I would say this is must see pot-tv because it is your first chance to see the tornado of Loretta Nall.Bigdawg, I might try to answer with more eloboration your question of what can we do about the fascists that now control everything except a few independent thinkers' minds if I had more coffee in me. I will say it is all about education which includes developing and advancing alternative media and not supporting the controlled media by not feeding the yellow parrots. This education has to translate into voting the politicians that brought us this fascism. Even your local leaders are to promote the public good and if they do not speak out about the uncontitutional acts of the drug war and its insanity and corruption they are not doing the public good service and need to be replaced.One thing that needs to be universal is that a majority of voters are needed in all all elected offices. This stuff of having 40% and winning because of a largest minority rule is designed to keep the two bought and paid for parties now in power, always in power. How insane is it to be against demanding a majority in order to rule/serve in public office?"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic State itself. That, in its essence, is Fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any controlling private power."
-FDR 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on March 22, 2003 at 09:39:22 PT
Dr. Russo
Thank you!
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Comment #3 posted by Ethan Russo MD on March 22, 2003 at 09:30:51 PT:
Questions
Your questions are good ones. The release of cannabis medicines in the USA will depend mostly on the administration. I would like to say that it is solely up to the FDA, but believe that political pressure will operate on the issue as well.The company plans to use reciprocity agreements in international law so that cannabis-based medicine extracts (CBME) should be available in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada shortly. They should be priced at levels that allow provision under national health insurance policies. That should be less than Marinol.Everyone interested in this topic should lobby Congress now.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 22, 2003 at 09:20:37 PT
Dr. Russo
Goodies and all! Excellent! When will it make it to the states? Will Americans be able to get a script for it from the UK? Will it be expensive? Is it better then Marinol? You don't need to answer these questions. I'm just rambling and trying to keep my mind off this awful war. I feel like running away from home. Not really but running away from the TV news. At this rate people will need to medicate with Cannabis just to handle the way the world is now!
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on March 22, 2003 at 09:11:58 PT:
Good News
This is excellent news. This should be shared with North American media outlets, but the news right now seems to be "All Iraq, All the Time."This article repeats two serious inaccuracies, however:"The main ingredient in the cannabis-derived medicines does not contain the active substance found in recreational cannabis and so patients taking the new drugs will not become intoxicated."This is simply untrue. GW Pharmaceuticals extracts contain predominantly THC, predominantly CBD or a 1:1 THC/CBD mix, as well as the essential oil terpenoids and flavonoids of the natural herb. If someone used a sufficient dose of the extacts containing THC, they would become "high." Although that may be a desirable "side effect" for some, for the vast majority of test patients, they obtained symptomatic relief of pain or spasm without feeling high, and actually increased their level of function.With the release of prescription cannabis in Holland, and the prospective availability of prescription cannabis extracts in the UK and beyond, a new day is dawning. The American administration must be made aware of this.
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