MARINOL is a pharmaceutical drug brand name originally produced by AbbVie.
Marinol was first approved in 1985 for AIDS patients to treat nausea and vomiting. Marinol is part of a class of medications referred to as cannabinoids. The active ingredient is man-made dronabinol (dro-NAB-in-all), also chemically known as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. THC is a naturally occurring component of marijuana.
A new formulation by Axim Biotech intends to address Marinol’s main drawback: side effects. The company hopes that with its new chewing gum format, patients will stick with the therapy. Currently, Marinol is a $160 million market and could grow to more than $300m in a gum format.
Here’s how the company views the problems with smoking dried cannabis:
• Smoke from any source is harmful to lung health
• Smoke from marijuana combustion has been shown to contain many of the same toxins, irritants and carcinogens as tobacco smoke
• Marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than cigarette smokers, which leads to a greater exposure per breath to tar
• Secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxins and carcinogens found in directly inhaled marijuana smoke, in similar amounts if not more