CANNABIS-BASED PAIN SPRAY TO BE TESTED IN OTTAWA HOSPITAL

OTTAWA - An Ottawa doctor will next week begin running the first North
American trial of a cannabis-based drug.

Dr. Dan DeForge at Ottawa Hospital's Rehabilitation Centre plans to
administer the drug to up to 10 volunteers suffering from multiple
sclerosis and spinal cord injuries.

The drug, developed by Britain's GW Pharmaceuticals, is administered as a
spray under the tongue so it is rapidly absorbed into the system without
the harmful side effects of smoke.

Dr. Willy Notcutt, who has led one of the UK trials, told British
newspapers that more than 75 per cent of people with chronic pain have been
shown to benefit from using the drug -- a mix of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
and cannabidiol (CBD), the two main active ingredients in marijuana.

"That's actually very good results for people with long-standing pain," he
said.

"If you are dealing with people with chronic pain and you find something
that benefits 30 per cent of patients, then you are doing well."