Medical marijuana

April 2005     View PDF     En español

Oral THC vs. marijuana

The oral drug, dronabinol (Marinol), was approved in 1992 for use in treating anorexia in people with HIV-related wasting. The active ingredient in dronabinol is THC, which is one of the main psychoactive agents in marijuana and the chemical that makes someone feel “stoned.” For treating HIV-related weight loss, THC probably helps as an appetite stimulant, in the same way people who are “stoned” get the munchies.

People who use dronabinol have mixed experiences. Some report a minimal drug effect while others experience far too much euphoria or feeling “stoned.” This is because of the variability in how the oral drug gets into the bloodstream, or perhaps to an individuals’ point of view and how they feel about such sensations. Smoking marijuana, or using edible forms of it, may be a more efficient way to get THC throughout the body. People who have tried both forms say that they are better able to control how “stoned” they get by smoking or eating marijuana and thus prefer it over the pill formulation.