For Immediate Release

Media contacts:
Hilary McQuie 510-333-8554; Steph Sherer 510-872-7822

Natural Marijuana Extract Coming to U.S. Soon?
Canada Approves World’s First Whole Cannabis Plant-Derived Pharmaceutical

April 19, 2005

Canada today approved Sativex, the world’s first natural marijuana extract
pharmaceutical, for pain related to multiple sclerosis. England-based GW
Pharmaceuticals and its marketing partner, Bayer, has said it will ask the
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to start the regulatory
approval process in the US later his year. In order for the FDA to commence
the approval process in the US for Sativex, they would have to concede that
the whole cannabis plant does have medical value.

Americans for Safe Access, the largest soley medical marijuana patient
advocacy organization nationally, is delighted with the release of Sativex.
“Now Canadian patients have an additional option in terms of delivery
systems for medical cannabis. Approval in the US appears inevitable, now
that the medical marijuana movement has successfully convinced our opponents
of its efficacy.  It is just so unfortunate that so many have had suffer
during the process,” said Steph Sherer, director of Americans for Safe
Access.

With over 350,000 diagnosed cases of MS in the United States and only 11
states with laws that allow for medical use of marijuana, a number of MS
patients have been arrested, and even convicted, for their personal
marijuana use for medical reasons.

John Pastuovic, now the public relations contact in the US for GW
Pharmaceuticals, is a former anti-medical marijuana campaigner. He worked as
recently as February 2005 to oppose the passage of state legislation
allowing for compassionate use of medical marijuana. His high profile
coworker was Dr. Andrea Barthwell, former Deputy Director of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy, where her primary role was to oppose medical
marijuana. (For more information, see www.illinoismarijuanalectures.org) Dr.
Barthwell is reported to have accepted an advisory board role for GW
Pharmaceuticals.

Phillippe Lucas,of ASA affiliate Canadians for Safe Access also notes,
“Since Sativex is a whole-plant cannabis medicine, if we submitted Sativex
and regular marijuana to a lab for chemical profiling, it would be very hard
for a judge to tell the difference between the two based solely on
cannabinoids profiles. Outlawing cannabis while approving Sativex as a
medicine makes about as much sense as outlawing oranges while selling
Vitamin C through pharmacies.”

This decision comes immediately after the promised decision date by Health
and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, on the Americans for Safe Access
’ Data Quality Act petition. The petition is a challenge to HHS’s finding
that marijuana has no recognized medical value. The decision was due on
Friday, April 15, but has been inexplicably delayed and is promised delivery
today.

For more information on the FDA and medical marijuana and background on the
Data Quality Act please visit: www.SafeAccessNow.org

Contacts:

Dr Geoffrey Guy, GW Chairman  (44) 1980 557000
John Pastuovic, Press and PR (US) 312 925 9092
HHS Barbara Greenberg 202-401-8279