Overview of Severe Nausea
The medical marijuana medications nabilone and dronabinol have been given for nausea for several years. They are shown to reduce nausea in the majority of patients, even those who have been resistant to antiemetics in the past. Their main use is for nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. There is documentation of side effects such as feeling tired and dizzy. A doctor and patient together can decide if these effects are worth reducing or eliminating nausea.
Research has shown conclusively that medical marijuana, including cannabinoids and THC, works as an antiemetic. In some cases, it works better than other medications prescribed for nausea. It has also been used together with other antiemetics to great result. Studies combining medical marijuana with other prescription antiemetics revealed that combining these antiemetics increased the effect of both, showing that it can be used as a stand-alone antiemetic or together with other antiemetics in cases that require more results.
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Findings: Effects of Cannabis on Severe Nausea
The Drug Enforcement Administration on Medical Marijuana for Nausea
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration is charged with controlling the use of narcotic drugs in the United States. One of these drugs, which the federal government has labeled among the worst, is marijuana. Even this agency has admitted to the importance of research in the area of marijuana as a medication. They do not interfere with use of marinol for nausea in patients with prescriptions. Marinol contains synthetic THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana. This is a large step toward federal legalization of many forms of medical marijuana. However, it is slow going. The DEA claims to be supporting medical research in the field, but very few marijuana medications are approved by the federal government and they can only be used in very specific cases.
The Food and Drug Administration and Medical Marijuana for Nausea
Interestingly, the FDA has come out with statements in the past six years that say they have found absolutely no medical use for marijuana. What is most interesting about that is the FDA has approved synthetic medical marijuana for nausea, vomiting and wasting associated with AIDS and chemotherapy. Marinol has been approved by the FDA since 1985! As of now, that is more than 25 years of FDA approved medical marijuana usage and yet, there is a lot of political backtracking. Medical marijuana clearly has a use if it has such a longstanding history of medical use for nausea. Furthermore, even synthetic derivatives of the plant are derivatives of the plant, thus proving that medical marijuana has at least one use -- research -- thought it certainly has many more.
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