CANADA OKS CANNABIS SPRAY FOR MS PATIENTS

Ottawa, ON, Apr. 20 (UPI) -- Canada has become the first country in the
world to approve a cannabis spray that relieves pain in multiple sclerosis
sufferers.

Sativex, which is administered by an oral spray, relieves pain in patients
that suffer from MS and is expected to hit the shelves by late spring, the
Globe and Mail reported Wednesday.

Neuropathic pain, or nerve pain, is a common symptom of MS and can occur in
as many as 86 percent of people with the disease, Health Canada said.

The drug is derived from two compounds of the cannabis plant,
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.

The health agency said side-effects from the drug, usually "mild or
moderate," can include nausea, fatigue, dizziness and reactions at the
application site.

The news was welcomed by Rob Kampia, executive director of the U.S.
Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C.

"GW Pharmaceuticals has proven -- and the Canadian government has
acknowledged -- that marijuana is indeed a medicine, one that is both
effective and remarkably safe," Kampia said.