CANNABIS SPRAY GETS GO-AHEAD

Canada is the first country in the world to approve a cannabis spray that
relieves pain in people with multiple sclerosis, Health Canada said Tuesday.

The announcement sent shares of the U.K. maker of the drug, GW
Pharmaceuticals Plc, up as much as 14 per cent in London. Bayer AG will
market the drug in Canada.

Sativex, which is administered through a spray in the mouth, relieves pain
in patients that suffer from MS, the government agency said. It's expected
to hit the shelves by late spring.

"Effective pain control and management are extremely important in a disease
like MS," said Dr. Allan Gordon, neurologist and director of the Wasser
Pain Management Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, in a statement.
"The approval of Sativex in Canada reflects the urgent need for additional
treatment options in the field of neuropathic pain in MS."

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

The drug is derived from two compounds, delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol and
cannabidiol.

About 50,000 Canadians have MS and the disease of the central nervous
system is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in
Canada.