CANNABIS SPRAY Sativex is coming slowly to a country near you

THE CASE

Sativex, an oral cannabis spray, is being developed by GW Pharmaceuticals for use in controlling the pain and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. Apparently it is just as effective for many other types of chronic pain including cancer.

Health Canada approved the use of Sativex in early 2005 where it is distributed by Bayer Healthcare.
In the US, GW Pharmaceuticals and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co announced on 26/11/2007 that:

the first US Phase II/III dose-ranging trial has been initiated to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Sativex in the treatment of pain in patients with advanced cancer, who experience inadequate analgesia during optimized chronic opioid therapy.

Meanwhile the lobby group "Republicans for Compassionate Access" are trying to provide Republican legislators with information on the medical use of marijuana and make it part of the debate in the race for the presidency.

On 13/12/2007 the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published a report called the "Public Information Report on Sativex Oromucosal Spray UK/H/961/01/DC" that effectively recommended its approval by the MHRA:

"In conclusion the safety profile is considered acceptable in principle for the proposed population and indication, providing sufficient efficacy is demonstrated. However important safety issues that as yet are not clearly quantified and occur during the week trial period. It will be necessary to demonstrate clear potential efficacy if these issues are to be outweighed so that a positive risk-benefit might be concluded."

Some doctors in Scotland, frustrated by the years of delay, have preempted British authorities and have started using it legally, by obtaining supplies directly from the manufacturer.

Coincidentally, on the 5/02/2008 a report from New Zealand was released that showed that regular smoking of cannabis causes periodontal disease, resulting in tooth loss in the worst cases. The heavier the use the worse the disease. The study was controlled for external effects such as pre-existing gum disease. And less than a week ago a team from the Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine at Monash University concluded that heavy cannabis smokers get lung disease 20 years earlier than cigarette smokers.

The advantage of Sativex is that it frees medical users of cannabis from this type of side effect, and the possibility of legal sanction if they are caught.

Honest officer, it's just for personal use!

MY VERDICT

I think it will be a long time before Australian MS sufferers will have the benefit of Sativex. Our populist press would have a great difficulty with "taxpayer funded pot" or "getting high at public expense". Until then medical users will have to flout the law and set themselves up for lung and dental disease.