Xanthia's MS Life

For all the many reason there are to hate Canada this is one reason to love those crazy, gun-toting canucks. A marijuana spray called Sativex that treats MS related pain is now legal there. Here is a little excerpt from my favorite on-line MS resource ThisisMS.com

A liquid spray containing the active elements of marijuana has been approved in
Canada for the treatment of nerve pain associated with multiple sclerosis. The therapy, called Sativex and marketed by Bayer and GW Pharmaceuticals, is not yet
available anywhere else, though approval in the UK is widely expected in the next year.

In clinical trials, Sativex showed significant pain relief versus placebo, as well as a reduction in pain-related sleep disorders. The drug is administered by a spray into the mouth and patients can avoid the mind-altering "side effects" of marijuana by adjusting their dosing.

"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, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario. "The approval of Sativex in Canada reflects the urgent need for additional treatment options in the field of neuropathic pain in MS."

My only question here is why the hell would you want to avoid the mind-altering "side effects"??? With all the pain that we MS'rs endure why not give us a little *fricken* fun, huh?