Big Pharma set to take over medical marijuana market

[kas125]

Just as the federal government is clamping down on medical marijuana dispensaries, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) may be set to give Big Pharma the clearance to take over the market.

In 2007, GW Pharmaceuticals announced that it partnered with Otsuka to bring "Sativex" -- or liquefied marijuana -- to the U.S. The companies recently completed Phase II efficacy and safety trials testing and began discussion with the FDA for Phase III testing. Phase III is generally thought to be the final step before the drug can be marketed in the U.S.

"GW Pharmaceuticals plc (AIM: GWP) today announces the initiation of the Phase III clinical trials programme of Sativex in the treatment of pain in patients with advanced cancer, who experience inadequate analgesia during optimized chronic opioid therapy," GW said in a statement. "This indication represents the initial target indication for Sativex in the United States."

Sativex is the brand name for a drug derived from cannabis sativa. It's an extract from the whole plant cannabis, not a synthetic compound. Even GW defines the drug (.pdf) as marijuana.

the rest is at - http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/04/20/big-pharma-set-to-take-over-medical-marijuana-market/

[spanone]

1. now were getting to the real reason for 'reefer madness'

big pharma

[ixion]

2. exactly...

:grr:

[jbnow]

9. Big Pharma was selling it before ban. See their trademarked bottles

on this page. If you click on the images you can read the very labels on the bottles
It was prepared and sold as Tinctured Cannabis

Some include
# ABBOTT LABORATORIES
# PARKE DAVIS & COMPANY (today known as Pfizer, Inc.)
# ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
# SQUIBB & SONS (today known as Bristol-Myers-Squibb)
# JOHN WYETH & BROTHER COMPANY (today known as American Home Products)
# MERCK & COMPANYY
# UPJOHN CO.

I often wonder if any of the medical marijuana dealers have studied the old studies and prescribing information and the info in old medical books and prescription info books...
Both from the drug companies or from earlier when it was prepared by Apothecary shops.

There were not a lot of effective meds back them and cannabis was used (successfully) for so many ailments. For some they suggested indica?, some savita?, (going on memory...) and different strains of those, the form and dose varied for different ailmnents too.
It was a respected treatment before other industries had reasons not to let it be so
We should take advantage of what they knew and go from there

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

3. not going to happen. Big Pharma can't grow the sticky, icky.

People actually care about quality when it comes to Cannabis, unlike tobacco or valium, where generic is fine.

[kas125]

5. But they'll try to pass off their stuff as the best anyway. And

I have a feeling that if pharma gets into it, they'll find a way to make prohibition a lot worse than it is now. They're already destroying the lives of people who own dispensaries; if they actually patent and sell their 'medicine' they'll want to do everything they can to protect their business from any competition.

[damntexdem]

4. The only problem with legalization.

On the other hand, home producers have managed to weather far more severe prohibition than any the pharma industry would be likely to muster. ;-)

[provis99]

6. Big Pharma is missing the point, I see.

The whole point of marijuana is to have fun smoking it. You don't get that fun from a liquid extract.

[KittyWampus]

7. I don't think advanced cancer patients are smoking mj for fun.

[Ganja Ninja]

8. Exactly why we should skip the whole medical marijuana plan and go right to legalizing it.

It just gives the corporate money grubber's another reason to keep it illegal.

[kas125]

10. You are exactly right. If this prescription stuff gets

approved, they'll never legalize real weed; it'll just give them more incentive to prosecute people for growing or using stuff other than their patented, legal, bullshit medicine.

[sabrina 1]

11. I'm sure that's why it has not been legalized.

Legalizing it would have spoiled their plans to profit from it.

It's the same reason they hate countries, like Venezuela, who nationalize their oil and other national resources.

I always wondered why they would not legalize MJ, it just didn't make sense.

Now it does.

[Taverner]

12. And get this, those meds take out the "high"

As in you can't have fun if you're on meds...:eyes: