From Iceland — Iceland Permits Cannabis-Based Medication

Iceland Permits Cannabis-Based Medication

Published September 26, 2012

The Icelandic Medicines Agency (IMA) has approved the use of a marijuana-based medicine, albeit under certain strict conditions.
Morgunblaðið reports that the IMA gave the green light for Sativex to be sold in Iceland.
Sativex is an oral spray for those suffering from muscular dystrophy. It is known to alleviate symptoms associated with the disease, such as neuropathic pain, spasticity and overactive bladder, among others. Sativex is made from marijuana, and in fact contains Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinoll, otherwise known as THC, which is one of the active ingredients in marijuana associated with the high. Sativex also has Cannabidiol Botanical which, as the name implies, is also derived from marijuana.
Even with this permission, however, there are strict controls. Sativex is prescription-only, reserved solely for a limited number of medical conditions, and only doctors who are specialists in neurology are allowed to write these prescriptions.
Iceland becomes the fourth Nordic country, after Norway, Sweden and Finland, to permit the sale of Sativex, which is produced in the UK.

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