Experience with Marinol (Dronabinol)?

[Cleanfiend]

Greetings All,

Today, I was prescribed Marinol. I have been a daily MJ user for years, for both bipolar disorder and chronic pain. I am starting this thread with the hopes of learning more about Marinol (Dronabinol), a synthetic pill form of THC.

I have read countless antidotal reports suggesting that users tend to prefer real cannabis over Marinol. However, I wanted to illicit the responses of this community to the drug. FC members strike me as being considerably more informed than the general public --- so how about it? What are your experiences with Marinol, if any?


My initial reactions:
- Paying a $10 copay for 90 doses of marijuana was fucking awesome. I was grinning like a child when the pharmacist told me what I owed.
- After taking one 5mg capsule, i feel a slight sativa-like headbuzz @45 mins in
- It would seem that the pill is not strong enough to floor me, like a bong or SSV hit
- Anything that will possibly help me save $$ on MJ is a + in my book

Any other FC members have experience in this realm?

 

[max]

No experience here, but it's just snythetic THC, not cannabis, which has over 400 chemical ingredients. Marinol has only been marginally effective as a substitute for the real thing. Medical patients seeking pain relief, in particular, have rejected Marinol, since it doesn't include the analgesic and sedative compounds contained in the real deal. It may help your head, but for pain, it's a loser.

"Zinberg's observations were amplified in an internal National Cancer Institute (NCI) memo from mid-1978. Synthetic THC is described as "erratic," "unpredictable," and finally dismissed as "unfit" for human use. Marijuana cigarettes, by contrast, are described as "reliable" and "highly predictable." After reviewing the available evidence the cancer specialists at NCI concluded, "All in all the [marijuana] cigarette may be the best means of delivering the drug."
http://marijuana-as-medicine.org/Overview - Part IV.htm

 

[Cleanfiend]

thanks Max! The above read was exactly the type of info I had been looking for - a thorough comparison of cannabis and marinol.

excellent

 

[His_Highness]

Wondering if there are any folks here who know anything more about Dronabinol now since its been well over a decade since this thread was updated.

I have an acquaintance who has never tried any kind of recreational drug. Recently they were prescribed Dronabinol. Dronabinol is a synthetic THC that I believe is derived from hemp and has been used to increase appetite in HIV/Aids patients. They were prescribed Dronabinol because another drug used to combat Dementia/Alzheimer is causing a severe lack of appetite. The cost for Dronabinol was $500.

I'm going to suggest they ask their prescribing doctor why they didn't suggest they get a MJ card instead. I expect to hear back that dosing an elderly person who has never used real cannabis is the reason Dronabinol was prescribed.

 

[His_Highness]

Wondering if there are any folks here who know anything more about Dronabinol now since its been well over a decade since this thread was updated.

I have an acquaintance who has never tried any kind of recreational drug. Recently they were prescribed Dronabinol. Dronabinol is a synthetic THC that I believe is derived from hemp and has been used to increase appetite in HIV/Aids patients. They were prescribed Dronabinol because another drug used to combat Dementia/Alzheimer is causing a severe lack of appetite. The cost for Dronabinol was $500.

I'm going to suggest they ask their prescribing doctor why they didn't suggest they get a MJ card instead. I expect to hear back that dosing an elderly person who has never used real cannabis is the reason Dronabinol was prescribed.

The Alzheimer patient in question found a lower cost for the Dronabinol at $300.

I gave the patient a question to ask their neurologist who prescribed the Dronabinol: What's the difference between a 2.5mg synthetic dose of Dronabinol and a 2.5mg THC edible that contains just THC (like the dronabinol). The doctor said she didn't know and doesn't include medical marijuana in her practice since it isn't taken seriously in her particular field. The doctor then asked the patient to see a nutritionist before deciding how to proceed.

I have to admit I'm a little surprised that the doctor hadn't suggested the patient see a nutritionist right from the start. I'm not surprised that the doctor doesn't know much about medical marijuana and doesn't take it seriously.