What are the pro and cons involved with choosing marinol over smoking pot?

Question

Are the effects simuler or different. Is smoking it much worse that swollowing a THC pill ?

Answer 1

marinol is absorbed differently than the THC when it is inhaled.

please support the medical program, some of us are terminally ill and dont want to go to jail.

the marinol initiative also puts the issue in government-only control, rather than the people!

also, pot is healthier for the environment because it is grown not manufactured. There is minimal cost to grow compared to the manufacturing of a pharmaceutical.

Nature knows best!

Answer 2

Marinol1 (dronabinol) is the only US FDA-approved synthetic cannabinoid. It is often marketed as a legal pharmaceutical alternative to natural cannabis.

Marinol is manufactured as a gelatin capsule containing synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in sesame oil. It is taken orally and is available in 2.5mg, 5mg and/or 10mg dosages. Marinol may be prescribed for the treatment of cachexia (weight loss) in patients with AIDS and for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments.

Despite FDA approval2, Marinol typically provides only limited relief to select patients, particularly when compared to natural cannabis and its cannabinoids. Marinol should remain a legal option for patients and physicians; however, federal and state laws should be amended to allow for those patients who are unresponsive to synthetic THC the ability to use natural cannabis and its cannabinoids as a medical therapy without fear of arrest and/or criminal prosecution. By prohibiting the possession and use of natural cannabis and its cannabinoids, patients are unnecessarily restricted to use a synthetic substitute that lacks much of the therapeutic efficacy of natural cannabis.

I. Marinol Lacks Several of the Therapeutic Compounds Available in Natural Cannabis

Chemical compounds in cannabis, known as cannabinoids, are responsible for its numerous therapeutic benefits. Scientists have identified 66 naturally occurring cannabinoids.3

The active ingredient in Marinol, synthetic delta-9-tetrahyrdocannabinol (THC), is an analogue of one such compound, THC. However, several other cannabinoids available in cannabis -- in addition to naturally occurring terpenoids (oils) and flavonoids (phenols) -- have also been clinically demonstrated to possess therapeutic utility. Many patients favor natural cannabis to Marinol because it includes these other therapeutically active cannabinoids.

For example, cannabidol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has been clinically demonstrated to have analgesic, antispasmodic, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, antinausea, and anti-rheumatoid arthritic properties.4

Animal and human studies have shown CBD to possess anti-convulsant properties, particularly in the treatment of epilepsy.5 Natural extracts of CBD, when administered in combination with THC, significantly reduce pain, spasticity and other symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients unresponsive to standard treatment medications.6

Clinical studies also demonstrate CBD to be neuroprotective against glutamate neurotoxicity7 (i.e. stroke), cerebral infarction8 (localized cell death in the brain), and ethanol-induced neurotoxicity,9 with CBD being more protective against glutamate neurotoxicity than either ascorbate (vitamin C) or alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E).10 Clinical trials have also shown CBD to possess anti-tumoral properties,11 inhibiting the growth of glioma (brain tumor) cells in a dose dependent manner and selectively inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in malignant cells.12

Additional cannabinoids possessing clinically demonstrated therapeutic properties include: cannabinol (anticonvulsant13 and anti-inflammatory14 activity); cannabichromine (anti-inflammatory15 and antidepressant16 activity); and cannabigerol (anti-tumoral17 and analgesic18 activity). Natural cannabis' essential oil components (terpenoids) exhibit anti-inflammatory properties19 and its flavonoids possess antioxidant activity.20 Emerging clinical evidence indicates that cannabinoids may slow disease progression21 in certain autoimmune and neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis22 (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis23 (Lou Gehrig's disease) and Huntington's Disease.24

Clinical data indicate that the synergism of these compounds is likely more efficacious25 than the administration of synthetic THC alone.26 For example, McPartland and Russo write: "Good evidence shows that secondary compounds in cannabis may enhance beneficial effects of THC. Other cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid compounds in herbal cannabis ... may reduce THC-induced anxiety, cholinergic deficits, and immunosuppression. Cannabis terpenoids and flavonoids may also increase cerebral blood flow, enhance cortical activity, kill respiratory pathogens, and provide anti-inflammatory activity."27 In an in vitro model of epilepsy, natural cannabis extracts performed better than THC alone.28 In human trials, patients suffering from multiple sclerosis experienced greater symptomatic relief from sublingual natural cannabis extracts than from the administration of oral THC.29 In 2005, Health Canada approved the oral spray Sativex30 -- which contains precise ratios of the natural cannabinoid extracts THC and CBD, among other compounds -- for prescription use for MS-related symptoms.31

II. Marinol is More Psychoactive Than Natural Cannabis

Patients prescribed Marinol frequently report that its psychoactive effects are far greater than those of natural cannabis. Marinol's adverse effects include: feeling "high," drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, changes in mood, muddled thinking, perceptual difficulties, coordination impairment, irritability, and depression.32 These psychoactive effects may last four to six hours.33 About one-third of patients prescribed Marinol report experiencing one or some of these adverse effects.34

Marinol’s oral route of administration is responsible, in part, for its heightened psychoactivity compared to inhaled cannabis. Once swallowed, Marinol passes from the stomach to the small intestine before being absorbed into the bloodstream. Following absorption, Marinol passes through the liver where a significant proportion of the drug is metabolized into other chemicals.35 One of these chemicals, 11-hydroxy-THC, may be four to five times more potent than natural THC,36 and is produced in greater quantities.37 Thus, patients administered Marinol experience the psychoactive effects of both THC and 11-hydroxy-THC, greatly increasing the likelihood that they will suffer from an adverse psychological reaction. By comparison, only minute quantities of 11-hydroxy-THC are produced when cannabis is inhaled.38 Moreover, Marinol lacks the compound cannabidiol, which possesses anxiolytic activity and likely modifies and/or diminishes much of THC's psychoactivity in natural cannabis.39

Answer 3

marinol makes you very sick to your stomach, confused and lethargic

stick to weed its natural and not made of synthetic chemicals

Answer 4

Only a mentally defective person would do drugs.

Answer 5

My mother has a perscription for marinol. She let me have some one time, and i found it to be lacking in several ways. Its nothing like natural pot. All it did for me was give me the munchies and a little laffy. IMO, if you have no qualms about the legality of pot, buy pot.

Answer 6

its cheaper but its weaker

Answer 7

don't even try to waste your life mate, it is the first step to h**l in life, some off my friends have been there they had wish that they never ever have even started it...give up mate ;-)

Answer 8

STOP DOING DRUGS!! THEY ARE BOTH BAD!! I DARE YOU TO STOP

D rug

A buse

R esistance

E duction

Answer 9

Well I havent tried the pill but let me think this over..

something manufactured by the government or something straight from the earth made by God himself ? Yehhh not so hard.

Like the lady said, nature knows best.

Answer 10

don't do drugs =]

Answer 11

Marinol will make you a zombie... With smoking you can control your 'dose' better and it won't last as long.  Taken orally Marinol could easily last 8-10 hours.

Answer 12

Let someone who has had to go that route medically answer your question in terms a person can understand.

Depending on the dosage, Marinol gives you a slight euphoria, but it is more of a "body buzz".  It helps relax pain away, piques your appetite and controls nausea (if you can keep it down).  Advantages are its legality (if you can find a doctor to prescribe it) and the fact that it's covered by insurance.  You can still function normally on marinol, and the effects last 6-8 hours or longer.

The benefits of smoking are the instant effects, the fact that you don't have to swallow it and keep it down, the user-controlled dosage and administration, and that the effects don't last as long. It also controls nausea and stimulates appetite. Drawbacks are the illegality (unless you live in California, where the medical marijuana is very potent), the associated out-of-pocket expense, and the stigma. Plus, it does get you "stoned" and make you somewhat sleepy, so concentration and focus abilities aren't great, i.e. you'll spend a lot of time looking for your keys, but cartoons take on a whole new fascination.

I completely understand your situation; just ignore people who think they know it all but don't have a clue.  Take care of you and fu¢k the begrudgers.