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A few minutes before his treatments, Dr. Grinspoon’s son would take a few puffs.

“We never—for as long as he lived—had to deal with that awful experience of seeing what he went through again,” he says.

This is one reason why the FDA approved Marinol—a low-dosage formulation of synthetic THC that comes in capsule form. The drug is used to stimulate appetite in HIV-positive patients and control the nausea and vomiting that’s associated with chemotherapy. Many believe that it’s a good option for people with conditions like cancer who don’t respond to commonly prescribed drugs.  It’s been medically proven to lower intraocular pressure for glaucoma patients, reduce anxiety, and stimulate patient’s appetite.

But there’s a problem: Marinol is one of only two FDA-approved THC-based drugs. Also, your body doesn’t absorb it as well as many over-the-counter drugs. Only about 10 to 20 percent of the dose becomes available for your body to use. That makes it unpredictable: For some, the drug works great, while others see no benefit.

Which leaves a clear challenge for researchers: Create a THC delivery method that leads to better absorption while reducing its psychoactive effect. A patch is being developed that would be applied above your gum line and deliver THC in a way that circumvents Marinol’s absorption problems. If approved, the product could be effective for relieving everything from nerve and cancer pain to glaucoma and anxiety.

Side Effects

Researchers believe that regular cannabis use can have neurotoxic effects on maturing brain structures. A 2012 study found that people who started smoking before age 18 showed a greater decline in IQ and cognitive functioning than people who started as adults. Also, heavy teen users—an average of four or more times a week—who continued to smoke as adults experienced an 8-point IQ drop which could not be blamed on alcohol, other drugs, or less education.

READ: Teen Drug Abuse: The 6 Warning Signs

THC has what doctors and researchers know as biphasic activity. At low doses it has certain effects, and at high doses it can have opposite effects. In fact, somebody using it to get high with the right dose will be calm, have an appetite, see medical benefits, etc. But, take in too much THC, and a person can become irritable, even psychotic.

In 1937, the federal government passed the Marijuana Tax Act to prevent its recreational use. In the past 10 years, enforcing pot laws has cost taxpayers more than $211 million in the state of Washington alone, according to recent research by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State.

Medical Marijuana: Fact vs Fiction  was originally published on blackdoctor.org

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