© 13/JAMES WORRELL/OCEAN/CORBISIn the 1990s, officials in the British government noticed something interesting in the nation’s courts: multiple sclerosis (MS) patients charged with marijuana possession were claiming that the plant offered relief from muscle spasms and pain. In 1998, after investigating the issue, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee issued a report acknowledging the plant’s potential as a source of new drugs and calling for rigorous research “as a matter of urgency.”
Leading scientists were consulted, including biotech entrepreneur Geoffrey Guy, who had previously shown interest in developing cannabis-based medicines. The government granted Guy’s company, GW Pharmaceuticals, a license to grow cannabis plants. Guy’s idea was to generate strains rich in particular cannabinoid compounds that act on the nervous system, then test the effects of various cannabinoid combinations on MS and chronic pain. “It was a case of patient experience guiding scientific exploration,” says Stephen Wright, director of research and development at GW.
In 2010, the company announced the UK launch of its first cannabinoid-based product: Sativex, an oral spray for the treatment of MS spasticity, became the world’s first prescription medicine made from cannabis extracts. Sativex is now approved for use by MS patients in 24 ...
