The debate over medicinal marijuana and cannabis products has been hotly contested for years. According to a Jan. 23 article on TIME’s website, America has legalized medical use of marijuana in sixteen states, including the District of Columbia, and can be found in many products already on the market. Presently, a British company is now seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a spray that incorporates raw marijuana into its formula to ease cancer pain. GW Pharma, the company developing the spray, hopes to secure FDA approval by 2013.
If the medicine is approved, it would represent a significant shift in perception of the drug’s medicinal properties. Medical marijuana products have been on the market for some time, but a medicine utilizing the plant itself will call into question how important its raw health properties are to patients in severe pain. The drug has already been approved in New Zealand, Canada, and several European countries in hopes that its introduction will underline the distinction, which sets medical use apart.
If its benefits are truly exceptional for cancer patients, the chances of the drug receiving the necessary approval will surely increase. In addition, the drug being manufactured in spray form will be much more practical for patients who are prevented from smoking or find it inconvenient. Savitex, the drug being produced by GW Pharma, is instigating optimism in the industry, but whether marijuana in its “crudest” form is truly useful will require much more research before it is admitted as fact.
Of course, the drug in question will be regulated through prescriptions to prevent any form of substance abuse. Potential side effects of depression will certainly inhibit progress in this specific field, but GW Pharma is hopeful this product will be an important breakthrough, helping other drugs emerge and offer another dimension to pain relief for cancer and relief from muscle spasms induced by multiple sclerosis. If the substance eases such unbearable pain, it is worth investigating further in order to explore medicinal options available to our society.
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