Monday, March 12, 2012 -

    BBC Taken In By The Sativex Scam.

    Dominic Littlewood

    Bald and bubbly Dominic Littlewood walked straight into the welcoming arms of the joint GW Pharma/Home Office propaganda machine last week.  In fact,  Dominic needs to face up to the fact that this time he was the one who was conned.

    He meekly repeated the lies that seek to distinguish Sativex from cannabis.  A complaint has been submitted.

    BBC Complaints

    Dear Sirs,

    Postcode Lottery, 7th March 2012

    I am the elected leader of Cannabis Law Reform (CLEAR), a UK political party which seeks an end to the prohibition of cannabis, most urgently for those who need it as medicine.

    I wish to complain about the inaccurate and misleading information broadcast about Sativex during the above programme.

    Dominic Littlewood, the presenter, said:

    “Sativex is a drug made from cannabis. It is legal because all of the elements that would naturally cause a cannabis high are removed first and it works because the active ingredients that are left radically reduce the pain in the inflamed nerve endings of MS sufferers.”

    This is entirely false. Sativex is an whole plant extract made from two different strains of cannabis. It contains all the cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpines and other compounds that naturally occur in the plants. It is, in fact, a super strong, super concentrated tincture of 51% THC skunk cannabis. “Euphoric mood” is described as a ”common” side effect in the Sativex summary of product characteristics (SPC). Sativex most certainly gets you “high” and this is part of its therapeutic effect.

    Even more worrying than the gross inaccuracy in this description is that it matches exactly with the disinformation campaign about Sativex from its manufacturers GW Pharmaceuticals which is supported by the Home Office.

    GW Pharmaceuticals and the Home Office seek falsely to distinguish Sativex from cannabis as part of a dishonest and misleading government policy which states that “there is no medicinal value in cannabis”.

    I applaud the programme’s description of the great benefit that Sativex offers MS patients and its exposure of the way the “postcode lottery” discriminates against some. However, the even greater cause for concern is the government sponsored deception of what Sativex actually is.

    Sativex is sold to the NHS at 10 times the price that cannabis is available from organised crime on the streets. This is why so many PCTs are reluctant to pay for it. MS patients who might choose to grow their own cannabis, virtually for free, face jail and a criminal record for doing so.

    It cannot be right that the BBC so uncritically repeats this GW and government sponsored propaganda.

    This misinformation must be corrected by an apology and a correction broadcast to ensure that all those who were misled by the programme are properly informed.

    Beyond that, I do believe that the BBC and Dominic Littlewood genuinely have consumers’ and patients’ interests in mind. The full resources of CLEAR would be put at your disposal should you wish to produce a programme that properly investigates the “Sativex Scam”, the unlawful GW Pharma monopoly of medicinal cannabis and the cruel and dishonest government policy which denies people the medicine they need.

    Yours faithfully,

    Peter Reynolds

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    Related news:

    1. The Sativex Scam part 1
    2. The Sativex Scam part 2.5
    3. The Sativex Scam part 2
    4. The Truth About Sativex
    5. Access Sativex
    • Christopher

      Utter bollocks, you can get very stoned on Sativex, as it is a high quality extract of cannabis. They add a peppermint flavouring to it, which thinly disguises the hemp flavour and can make your mouth very dry if taken in the way prescribed, but still gets you very high, similar to eating a space cake. It’s possible to smoke it by spraying it onto cigarette papers and then letting them dry, the effect is just like smoking a joint. 

    • Anonymous

      Everyone should raise a complaint using the BBC website complaints procedure.  They only ask for your email address and first part of postcode.

    • Anonymous

      It seems to me, that with the rubbish they’ve aired on BBC3, together with this programme, suggest the BBC is working for the home office to.

    • Anonymous

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/?reset=#anchor

      if you can’t be arsed to look for the page & these are the answers.

      Television
      BBC one
      Postcode lottery
      No
      07-03-2012
      recorded or iplayer
      leave time blank
      Factual error
      No
      Side-effect mis-information

      I’ve tried Sativex and I can confirm it can get you high in exactly the same way Cannabis does. Infact the GW pharmacuticles PIL sheet states…

      “If you experience unwanted effects such as dizziness, confusion, unreality, feeling abnormal or drunk, you should miss out your next dose until you feel normal again”

      POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTSLike all medicines, SATIVEX® Oromucosal Spray may cause side effects in some patients.These may include dry mouth, throat irritation, feeling sick, being sick, abdominaldiscomfort, tiredness or drowsiness, weakness, loss of balance, falls, blurred vision, difficulty with speaking, dizziness, faintness or loss of consciousness, vertigo, feeling abnormal or drunk. Other side effects may include diarrhoea, increase or decrease in appetite, anorexia, changed sense of taste, tooth discolouration, thirst, loss of energy and abnormal liver function tests. Certain psychiatric symptoms have been observed with the use of SATIVEX® Oromucosal Spray; these may include worry, confusion, disorientation, poor concentration and/or impaired memory, a feeling of unreality, general happiness or sadness, hallucinations, feeling other people are against you.
      Which are just the same effects you get when ingesting cannabis edibles.
      So Sativex is just a cannabis tincture – just like you could buy over the counter in Victorian days (like Queen Victoria did) it’s nothing new and shouldn’t cost £150 a bottle.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Maharg-Smith/831904195 Maharg Smith

      so if a sativex user is stopped by the police for driving whilst under the influence of drugs he or she must walk free despite blood tests…whereas a recreational cannabis smoker with the same blood test results would be prosecuted..its patent nonesense and needs to be sorted out asap 

    • Anonymous

      As is the case with opiates. If prescribed the advice is “drive if you feel you are in a fit and safe state to do so”. If not prescribed (even if you feel that you are in a fit and safe state) it is an offence, leading to possible prosecution, loss of licence, and everything else that that entails. Field sobriety tests would be far more effective in gauging a persons level of intoxication in terms of their physical abillity at carrying out a series of roadside tests, and not a machine that simply gives a positive or negative result. I agree with you wholeheartedly that this has to stop. It’s just another form of discrimination from government against some people that use certain substances and their concern on whether or not they have had gotten their cut in the form of tax on the substance the person is under the influence of.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Maharg-Smith/831904195 Maharg Smith

       i found this on the british formulary website note the cost?????
       

      Consult product literature

      Sub-sections

          (1)Sativex® (Bayer Schering) Black triangle Schedule 1 Controlled Drug
          Oromucosal spray, Cannabis sativa extract (containing dronabinol (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) 27 mg and cannabidiol 25 mg/mL), net price 3 × 10-mL units = £375.00. Counselling, driving see above
          Excipients include propylene glycol

      ? Previous: BACLOFEN | Top | Next: DANTROLENE SODIUM ?
      (1)Home Office assessing Controlled Drug status of preparation—currently in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, but prescriptions should comply with prescribing requirements for Schedule 2 drugs

      here are the schedules classified

          Schedule I,
      n a category of drugs not considered legitimate for medical use. Included are heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and marijuana.
      Schedule II,
      n a category of drugs considered to have a strong potential for abuse or addiction but that also have legitimate medical use. Included are opium, morphine, and cocaine.

          
         
       

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Maharg-Smith/831904195 Maharg Smith

       says it all really  sativex is cannabis extract  it is also schedule 1 which is “not considered legitimate for medical use ” but for some outlandish reason can be prescribed as schedule 2 …and onsale in the uk despite this are these contradictory classifications fit for pupose? and why can sativex ride through them like a coach and horses ??

    • Ian Singleton

      I heard that GW Pharmaceuticals got given a special license from the government which basically gave them their own category.  Nice when things like happen if you have enough money you can get the government to do what ever you want.  

    • james bull

      http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/alcohol-drugs/drugs/hs-acmd-priorities-2012-2013?view=Html Looks like GW have got what they want, read 2nd to last paragraph…

    • steve a

      It looks to me as though there may be another Matrix Churchill scam not quite hiding in the woodwork here.

      It is such a shame, if only they were honest at all levels about it they wouldn’t be wasting the millions of tax payers money they are going to waste on the cover up that won’t cover a thing.

    • james bull

      Yup, it sucks.
      Hopefully this is another thing that can be pointed out by PR to the right people. I know I will be contacting my MP about this, it is ludicrous they feel they can do this. 

    • Anonymous

      I will not hide my discontent – although I am not quite sure, WHO to be angry at! Why is it acceptable to have THC and Alcohol in my system, but not..well..having THC in my system? Does a Nabiximols-prescription equal to a free-pass for smoking and drinking, without suffering the re-precautions?
      What about people like me, who have liver problems and can’t drink and whose ONLY remedy for being able to eat and sleep well, is being refused!?

      The sheer existence of Sativex on the market is an infringement of basic human rights and distorts the Law by creating redundancies, afflicting those, interested in an alternative treatment! The level of corruption feels unmanageable, since a company who should inspire TRUST, can get away with selling drugs that should be illegal (for certain reasons), just by bribing the lawmakers..

      How long are they going to continue pissing on our heads, until we stop ‘thanking them for the rain’?
      The government better ready itself for answering to the European Court of Human Rights in the near future – You CAN sue an entire country and WIN.

    • sykesbenson

      Im not being funny but Wev’e all seen ol’ Dominic researching the bollocks off some two-bob builder, D’ya mean to tell Me He didnt/couldn’t research the actual truth regarding Shativex and the oh-so dodgy GW Pharmaceuticals before putting His name/face to such utter bollocks!?!:-(

    • steve a

      It does remain a possibility (a very very remote one I will grant you), that these “errors” we see creeping into some of the reporting are there deliberately to allow the likes of us to raise the profile a bit by submitting genuine complaints.

      Yeah I know but it could happen.

    • Anonymous

      Got a response to my complaint today (but they still have their facts wrong) 

      Complaint Response CAS-1345689-XMS4J0Type: HTML Msg Thank you for contacting us about the edition of ‘Postcode Lottery’ broadcast on 7 March 2012.We raised your concerns with the programme team and appreciate your patience in awaiting our response. While the production of Sativex involves modifications to Cannabis, having reviewed the programme and our research we agree that it was inaccurate to state that all the elements that would naturally cause a cannabis high are removed from the drug. We’d like to thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention. The purpose of ‘Postcode Lottery’ is to highlight the problems of the postcode lottery in Britain with the aim of giving people a better chance of overcoming this. There was certainly no intention on behalf of the programme producers to mislead viewers and this was a genuine mistake which we will rectify for any repeats of this programme.We’d also like to assure you that we’ve registered your complaint on our Audience Log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that’s made available to all BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive board, channel controllers and other senior managers.The Audience Logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions on future BBC programmes and content.Once again, thank you for contacting us. Kind Regards
      BBC Complaints

    • http://www.peter-reynolds.co.uk Peter Reynolds

      I haven’t had a response to this one yet although I received one about Waterloo Road today.

      May I suggest you write back to them and say you’re dissatisfied with the response, etc, etc.  That gets you to stage two.

      When you get past stage three you’ll be starting to have an impact.

    • Anonymous

      Already responded. I didn’t send my waterloo one until after last weeks episode and I posted it so that may take a while longer. 

    • steve a

       I am just a little confused.  Where are you guys going with this, it seems to me that the BBC have done the right thing and responded in a positive manner to your complaints so what grounds are you using to pursue it further?

    • http://www.peter-reynolds.co.uk Peter Reynolds

      Steve, they clearly need to take action to communicate with viewers to correct the misinformation that they broadcast.

    • steve a

       I get this but they have taken steps… ” this was a genuine mistake which we will rectify for any repeats”.

      The only issue you may have here is if any unedited iplayer episodes were allowed to be downloaded after this comment was made and presumably the same might apply to any written information on a web page and maybe a separate complaint addressing a lack of retraction to OFCOM or whoever.

      I am no comment warrior and I am trying to understand why you sometimes do things the way you do.  To me it seems your business with the BBC on this matter is (barring the items mentioned above) ended.

    • MeeMan

      In that paragraph, Theresa May admits that cannabis has medicinal value by describing Sativex a cannabis based medicine!!!
      NOW, let’s see what the Police/Lawyers/Judges have to say about this the next time someone is in court for growing their medicinal cannabis extract.