A PUFF OF WHITE SMOKE FROM GW

If City gossips are to be believed, GW Pharmaceuticals, the company
developing painkillers from cannabis, is poised to take advantage of its
excellent run to raise cash.

According to yesterday's tittle-tattle, the company will attempt to raise
UKP20m via a placing of new stock with institutions, which will no doubt be
eager to get their hands on GW shares in the light of recent events. This
month, Aim-listed GW announced that Bayer, the German drugs group that
discovered aspirin, had signed up to sell Sativex - the UK firm's
under-the-tongue spray for treating the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and
severe neuropathic pain.

Traders reckon the shares are likely to be placed at a small discount to
yesterday's closing price of 220.5p, up 7p. It is thought GW, whose shares
were 100p at the start of the year, will use the cash for general corporate
purposes and to give it a stronger bargaining position when it comes to
further licensing deals for Sativex and other products. The GW tale provided
an interesting diversion for dealers who watched the market trade in a
narrow range ahead of the US interest cut, which came well after London
closed for business.

[Content not related to drug policy snipped for brevity]