ABSTRACT
The effects of marijuana on organ systems may be related not only to the active ingredients in cannabis but also to the manner in which the drug is taken. The inhalation of marijuana smoke was accompanied by a decreased or an increased tolerance and heightened or unchanged pain. Dronabinol is the synthetically available form of marijuana approved for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. Reports have also appeared associating marijuana use with increased pain or hyperalgesia in patients with neoplastic disease. The hypotension, which at times may be considerable, may be related to a hypovolemia secondary to copious diarrhea or may be the result of central nervous system effect of marijuana on the vasomotor receptor. Although highly effective antiemetic agents are currently available, they are extremely expensive, and synthetic marijuana does not appear to be as effective an agent as in the natural drug.
