Make no mistake: Sativex is liquid marijuana

The Lesson of Sativex
By Rob Kampia, AlterNet
Posted on April 19, 2005, Printed on April 20, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21818/

On April 19, the Canadian government delivered what should be the
final blow to the U.S. government's irrational prohibition against
the medical use of marijuana. It approved prescription sale of a
natural marijuana extract -- for all practical purposes, liquid
marijuana -- to treat pain and other symptoms caused by multiple
sclerosis.

Sativex, produced by GW Pharmaceuticals in Britain, brings the
medical marijuana debate full circle. Though the technology has
advanced in 70 years, this product is a direct descendent of the
marijuana extracts and tinctures that were a standard part of the
medical armamentarium until the late 1930s -- universally recognized
as being safe and effective for certain conditions. These products
were taken away from patients and doctors as a result of the
prohibition on marijuana that began in 1937, despite the public
opposition of the American Medical Association.

In short, the Canadian government has just certified that virtually
everything our own government has been telling us about marijuana is
wrong. In defiance of a large and growing pile of scientific
studies, our government still claims that marijuana has no medical
value. White House Drug Czar John Walters even compared medical
marijuana to "medicinal crack."

Such statements were always scientifically ridiculous, as has been
noted by a wide range of authorities, including the American Public
Health Association, the American Nurses Association, and the state
medical societies of New York, California and Rhode Island, to name
just a few. Now, GW Pharmaceuticals' research has definitively put
such nonsense to rest.

Make no mistake: Sativex is liquid marijuana. It is nothing like
Marinol, the synthetic THC pill sold in the U.S. and sometimes
falsely touted as an adequate substitute for marijuana.

Sativex is a whole-plant extract, containing the rich variety of
naturally occurring compounds called cannabinoids that are unique to
marijuana. It also contains trace elements of other compounds
contained in the plant, which scientists believe contribute to its
therapeutic value.

On its web site, GW Pharmaceuticals explains, "We believe very
strongly that many of the advantages of using the whole plant come
from the inclusion of other components of cannabis [marijuana]," not
just THC. "In the cannabis plant, it appears that some of the
components added together give better effect. Some components seem
to work to counteract some of the side effects of others, and the
whole plant is generally well tolerated by humans."

Sativex is to marijuana as a cup of coffee is to coffee beans. If
Sativex is safe and effective, marijuana is safe and effective. And
Sativex is safe and effective. Studies have shown significant effect
against pain and other symptoms caused by multiple sclerosis and
other debilitating conditions. Over 600 patient-years of research
have established a remarkable record of safety.

Sativex should certainly be approved in the U.S., but the process
may take years -- if it is allowed to happen at all. Sadly, our
government's reflexive hostility to the medical use of marijuana
shows no sign of abating.

But an even larger issue looms: Now that we know beyond doubt that
marijuana is a safe, effective medicine, how long will our
government continue to arrest patients who use it?

And even if Sativex is approved here someday, it won't be the answer
for every patient now benefiting from medical marijuana. For one
thing, it has been clearly shown that different strains of
marijuana -- with different blends of cannabinoids -- work better
for some conditions and less well for others. Sativex just comes in
one formula, and it won't be right for everyone.

And Sativex will be expensive. Will we force patients to buy a
pricey pharmaceutical version of a plant they could grow themselves
for pennies? At a time when our healthcare system is drowning in
rising costs, that's insane. We could end up with a policy every bit
as silly as telling coffee drinkers that they can buy a cappuccino,
but they'll be arrested on sight if caught in possession of coffee
beans.

The lesson of Sativex is simple: Our government was wrong. Marijuana
is medicine, and patients and doctors should be able to use it in
whatever form works best for their particular situation.

© 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21818/