Synthetic THC available to doctors and patients

In July, the DEA moved Marinol to Schedule III, which made it easier for doctors to prescribe and for patients to get refills. Marinol is a brand name for synthetic THC, trademarked by Unimed Pharmaceuticals, and marketed by Roxane Laboratories.

The generic name of synthetic THC is Dronabinol. Dronabinol remains on Schedule I as a drug with "high potential for abuse," even though it is exactly the same as Marinol, except that Marinol is in a sesame oil capsule.

In a September interview with The Nation, Roxane president David Querry explained that the company had hired a major public relations firm to convince "physicians, the public and the legislatures" about the benefits of "FDA-approved" Marinol, over marijuana, which has no "identified medical studies."


• Roxane Laboratories: www.marinol.com