Comparing the Benefits of Natural Cannabis to Marinol
What is Marinol?
Marinol (also known as dronabinol) is a synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis. It is administered in pill form and available by prescription only. It is primarily used to treat nausea, vomiting and appetite loss associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients. In addition, it is used for anorexia and weight loss among AIDS patients.
The FDA approved Marinol in 1985 as a Schedule III drug, meaning it has a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependency or abuse that is less than Schedule I or II drugs, but more than Schedule IV. Interesting to note, cannabis (in its natural form) is a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no acceptable medical usage. However, when comparing the two, evidence shows the benefits of “whole plant” medicine far outweigh the side-effects and disadvantages of THC-only based Marinol.
Lack of Other Cannabinoids
One of the biggest differences between Marinol and natural cannabis is that Marinol does not contain any of the other potentially beneficial cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Marinol contains only one of the many cannabinoids (THC) that are found in the cannabis plant.
There are over a hundred other cannabinoids found in cannabis and it is believed these other cannabinoids have a beneficial and synergetic effect that can’t be achieved through THC alone. In other words, the whole plant is greater than the sum of its parts (or cannabinoids).
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One of the most well-known of these other cannabinoids is cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has been approved for treating a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, anxiety, inflammation, insomnia and even epilepsy. Since CBD comes from cannabis and cannabis is considered a Schedule I drug, CBD is also considered Schedule I. However, if the CBD is derived from hemp and is less than 3% THC, it is considered legal. Marinol contains no CBD or a synthetic equivalent.
Side-Effects
Like just about any other prescription medication, Marinol is known to have some unwanted side effects. These include but are not limited to: drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fast or pounding heartbeat, delusions and trouble thinking clearly. Cannabis, by comparison, has much fewer side effects. This is because Marinol lacks the other cannabinoids of cannabis (as previously mentioned) that diminish or lessen the psychoactive effects of the THC.
Another reason is because Marinol is administered by oral ingestion (pills) which take longer to take effect, but when they do, the side effects can be much more intense compared to inhalation. For this reason, a Marinol inhaler might be a better alternative, but this would still be missing the other cannabinoids.
Cost
Finally, Marinol is much more costly and difficult to manufacture compared to natural cannabis. This cost is then passed on to the consumer (or patient) and if that patient’s insurance doesn’t cover Marinol, the cost will even be higher, if not unaffordable. This cost deters medical providers as well. In a survey of HIV/ AIDS specialists who had never prescribed Marinol, 33% stated its high cost as their reason for not prescribing it to their patients.
When comparing Marinol to natural cannabis, it’s clear cannabis is the more effective and healthier choice of the two. Not only is Marinol missing the other naturally occurring cannabinoids found in the plant that are known to have positive effects by themselves and in conjunction with the THC, there are far more potentially negative side-effects with Marinol. In addition, the cost of natural cannabis is generally less expensive to patients and providers compared to synthetic THC.
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