Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)By Nicola Cowell
A DRUG containing cannabis to treat MS sufferers has been made legal in Spain.
The tongue spray, Sativex, is proven to reduce muscle spasms in people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis and whose condition does not respond to other pain killers.
British company GW Pharmaceuticals got the green light to distribute the drug in the UK last month, and have now been approved here with the help of Spanish partners Almirall.
Marketers now hope to get backing from other EU countries like France, Germany and Italy.
The Spanish Ministry of Health will now seek pricing approval for the drug, which is expected to be awarded towards the end of the year.
Health minister Trinidad Jimenez said the drug will be carefully prescribed and the health authority has ruled out the possibility of cannabis being used to treat other diseases like cancer.
This doesn’t make sense (surprise!) If this medicine eases the pain of M.S. Why should it not be used in other ailments?
During chemotherapy, people have trouble eating. Cannabis famously causes the “munchies”. Perhaps people would tuck in after a spray or two. If pain relief is sought, take the example of Queen Victoria, who used it to ease childbirth.
This stuff grows wild (if allowed to) so should be cheap as chips to produce. Politics trumps medicine every time though.
Incidentally. The report dates from 2010. Wonder if this medicine ever saw the light of day?
Anyone had any?