UK Company Says Cannabis-Based Product May Treat Arthritis Pain

LONDON (Reuters) Jun 09 - A novel cannabis-based medicine, initially
developed to help multiple sclerosis patients, can also reduce
arthritis pain, the British company behind the product said on
Wednesday.

GW Pharmaceuticals, which is awaiting approval from UK and Canadian
regulators to use its Sativex spray to treat MS and severe neuropathic
pain, said phase II clinical tests showed it could benefit rheumatoid
arthritis patients.

"These results are particularly exciting because this is the first
ever controlled clinical trial of a cannabis-based medicine in the
treatment of arthritis," said Philip Robson, director of GW's
Cannabinoid Research Institute.

"This exploratory trial provides further strong support to our belief
that cannabis-based medicines may offer therapeutic potential across a
range of medical conditions."

GW, which grows more than 40,000 marijuana plants a year at a secret
location in the English countryside, said some 400,000 adults in the
UK have rheumatoid arthritis.

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