Advantages of polypharmaceutical herbal Cannabis compared to single-ingredient, synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol

Introduction In the United States, marijuana (Cannabis sativa, possibly also Cannabis indica and Cannabis afghanica) is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a prohibited Schedule I drug ("no currently accepted medical use"). As a substitute for marijuana, the DEA approved dronabinol (Marinol®). Dronabinol is synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆-THC). It is formulated in a capsule, designed for oral administration. Because ∆-THC is the primary psychoactive ingredient in both Dronabinol and marijuana, the DEA considers Dronabinol equal to marijuana in effectiveness, for the treatment of nausea, vomiting, and anorexia. But Dronabinol and marijuana are not equal, according to many reports (Grinspoon & Bakalar 1997). Many patients report that marijuana has better therapeutic activity than Dronabinol, and that marijuana has less side effects than Dronabinol. Dronabinol often causes psychological “overdose” reactions, symptoms such as dysphoria, depersonalization, anxiety, panic reactions, and paranoia.