NO SOUND 'PROOF'
FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Well that's the latest official
line out of the United States.
A Food and Drug Administration statement last week denying
any medical benefits of cannabis
reinforced the divide between federal officials and the states
that have approved the use of
cannabis to ease some medical conditions.
In Washington the FDA declared that "no sound scientific
studies" support the medical use
of smoked cannabis. The statement, which contradicts a 1999
review by top government
scientists, inserts the health agency into yet another political
fight.
While over the border in Canada another medical cannabis company
heralds its public offering.
Toronto, It's not every company that makes its public listing
debut with the founder holding up a bag of cannabis supplied
by the Canadian government. But that's exactly how Cannasat
Therapeutics Inc. did it in April 2006.
Cannasat bills itself as one of a handful of companies in the
world that is researching and developing medicines derived from
cannabis plants.
Executives acknowledged at a media conference that the fledgling
firm faces an uphill battle on many fronts -- from the enormous
cost and risk involved in developing new drugs to fighting a
social stigma that conjures up images of police officers on
pot busts pulling up rows of tall green plants and stoned teenagers
getting "the munchies."
"It's about function," said Mr Znaimer, who serves
as chairman of Cannasat's board of directors. "This is
not marijuana that people come to because they're looking for
a good time."
Shares of Cannasat closed at 40 cents on the TSX Venture Exchange
on Wednesday, up 15
cents from the day before.
Cannasat Therapeutics Inc. also holds a stake in Prairie Plant
Systems, the only government-licensed grower and distributor
of cannabis in Canada.
In the weeks ahead, Cannasat is placing ads in various media
to tell cancer and AIDS patients
they can get cannabis legally from Health Canada to treat pain,
loss of appetite and insomnia.
The promotional campaign by Cannasat is meant to raise awareness
about Health Canada's Medical Cannabis Access Regulations.
The three-year-old program allows people who suffer from cancer,
HIV or AIDS, multiple sclerosis and spinal-cord injuries, among
other conditions, to purchase cannabis from the government.
First shipments began in 2003 and are couriered monthly to users.
Medicinal cannabis sells for about $5 a gram, about a third
of its street cost.
In Amsterdam, The Dutch Health Ministry is unhappy with legal
sales of medical cannabis through pharmacies.
In a country where unauthorized cannabis has been easily available
for decades, the government was surprised to find that prescription
cannabis produced under stringent quality controls has been
far less successful than predicted.The Dutch were considering
their reassessment as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year
that users of medical cannabis could be prosecuted under federal
law even if their doctors had prescribed it legally according
to state law.
After an exhaustive study, the government set up the Bureau
of Medicinal Cannabis that would supply standardized and regulated
cannabis that underwent quality control, especially for patients
suffering chronic pain from multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, neuralgia,
cancer and Tourette's syndrome. Sales began in September 2003
and fell flat.
One reason may be the high price of prescribed marijuana compared
with the product sold at the neighborhood coffee shop. The legal
medicine, which varies from 8 to 10 euros ( $14-$17 ) per gram,
is about double the price of unauthorized cannabis since it
must cover the costs of regulating production, packaging and
sales tax.
Some health insurance companies reimburse patients for prescribed
marijuana, but not all.
And in Australia, a recent study found that cannabis is preferred
by the sick. Nearly two-thirds of people using marijuana for
medical reasons had decreased or stopped taking other medications
early, results of a State Government survey show. The survey,
an Australian first, was conducted by the National Drug and
Alcohol Research Centre.
Participants reported cannabis was useful in preventing side
effects caused by conventional
medicines. The most common medical conditions the cannabis users
suffered were arthritis, chronic pain, depression, nausea, muscle
spasms and weight loss.
Andrew Kavasilas
