MARIJUANA MOUTH-SPRAY MAY SOON BE AVAILABLE

OTTAWA - A mouth spray made from marijuana could be available in
Canada as soon as the end of the spring, making it the first pot-based
pharmaceutical for sale in the world.

Approved by Health Canada on Friday, Sativex is a spray made of
pulverized pot plants, used to treat pain in multiple sclerosis patients.

"It's the first cannabis-derived pharmaceutical product approved
anywhere in the world," said a spokesman for Bayer Inc., which is
distributing the tincture here.

Though Health Canada has asked for more "confirmatory studies" from
the drug's manufacturer, approval for Sativex was expedited to fill
what the agency describes as an unmet need.

No treatments currently exist to treat the symptoms of pain suffered
by MS patients. They take everything from over-the-counter aspirin to
morphine in what are often futile attempts to quell their discomfort.