Medical marijuana test inhaler

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 16 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT


An inhaler that dispenses medical marijuana in mist form (mainly aimed at MS sufferers) is in the final stages of testing (by UK Department of Health). The inhaler is called Sativex.

Sativex (made by GW Pharmaceuticals, UK company) aims to sell the inhaler in W Europe, the Commonwealth and eventually the USA.

It will be the first prescription for a real marijuana product ever.

In the UK there are about 110,000 MS (multiple sclerosis) sufferers.

While there is general approval in the UK for the use of marijuana for MS sufferers, some say that by allowing a prescription drug like this onto the market it will be more difficult to stop MS sufferers from growing or buying marijuana for their own use.

Over 2.5 million people in the world suffer from MS (400,000 in USA). It is a chronic disease which can result in speech defects and loss of muscle coordination.

Sativex uses distilled marijuana. The plants are grown in the South of England (under government supervision).

According to trial results by the UK Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency (with a small group), Sativex relieves muscle and headache pain (in MS patients).

The patient sprays the product under the tongue. Absorbtion is fast and relief swift. The spray contains all the plant's pain-relieving properties.

There are other marijuana-related painkillers. However, unlike Sativex, they contain synthetic versions of some of the plant's ingredients (not all).

If the patient takes the prescribed dose, he/she will not get the mild euphoria associated with recreational uses of marijuana (will not get stoned).

There is no guarantee, however, that people will not overdose to get a high.

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