Marinol

Marinol is synthetic form of marijuana's active ingredient delta-9-tetrahyrdocannabinol, known as THC.  Marinol is prescribed in advanced cases of cancer treatment to help releive nausea and improve appetite, frequent side-effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients. 

There is some debate in the medical marijuana community as to the efficacy of Marinol.  While the DEA takes a hard line that a pill is safer than smoking, there is evidence that smoking marijuna is actually easier and more beneficial for patients. 

Rhode Island has recently become the 11th state to legalize medical marijuana along with Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.  For patients in these states, natural medical marijuana may be more practical and cost-effective than Marinol.  But for patients who cannot easily get access to marijuana, Marinol may be a viable alternative. 

• DEA: Marinol
• NORML: Marinol vs Natural Cannabis
• Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana: Marinol
• CNN: 11th State Legalizes Medical Marijuana

Comments

[POZ Guy]

I have a prescription for Marinol, but there is only 2mg of synthetic THC (and no other cannabinoids mixed in, the marijuana plant has over 20 different variations of cannabinoids that may make the difference) are in each tablet and too get the same calming feeling I get from a 1/4 gram joint (one normal tobacco cigarette contains about a gram of plant material) I have to take about 5 to 10 Marinol pills (about $75 per dosage). If I am not feeling well and I feel nauseous, then I cannot swallow the pills easily whereas I can still smoke some "weed" (as long as I do not over do it and start coughing and gagging). Now this 2mg Marinol pill costs about $8 US whereas it only costs me about $0.20 (20 cents) for the same amount in the "devil weed" (each gram of marijuana contains about 50 - 75mg of THC and costs me 10 bucks, 50mg of Marinol would cost about $200.00 US). If I was allowed to grow my own marijuana plants for medical use, it would only cost me 1 cent (or less) a MG to produce.

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