The Canadian government announced Wednesday that it had approved a new pain relieving spray to help multiple sclerosis sufferers which contains cannabis. That makes Canada the first country to approve the spray for its citizens.

The new drug is called Sativex and a prescription will be required to obtain it. The medicine is administered in spray form and contains two compounds of the cannabis plant, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. It is designed to alleviate neuropathic pain.

Side effects include nausea, fatigue and dizziness and have been described as mild to moderate.

Rob Kampia, executive director of the U.S. Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, DC, was pleased by the decision. 'GW Pharmaceuticals has proven -- and the Canadian government has acknowledged -- that marijuana is indeed a medicine, one that is both effective and remarkably safe,' Kampia told the Washington Times.

Sativex is expected to be available in Canada later this spring. But before you go crossing the border to obtain some, be aware that the drug should not result in a 'high' for patients as it is sprayed under the tongue which is the best way to obtain pain relief.