TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (THC)

Course overview

THC OR TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL IS THE MAJOR PSYCHOACTIVE COMPONENT AND ONE OF THE 113 CANNABINOIDS RECOGNIZED IN CANNABIS. A SYNTHETIC FORMULATION OF THC, DRONABINOL, IS FDA APPROVED TO MANAGE CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING AND FOR APPETITE STIMULATION IN HIV/AIDS ANOREXIA. ANOTHER SYNTHETIC THC, NABILONE, IS FDA APPROVED FOR USE IN CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING. ASIDE FROM THESE TWO SYNTHETIC THC FORMULATIONS OF THC THAT ARE FDA APPROVED. CANNABIS AND, THEREFORE, THC, WHICH IS THE MAJOR PSYCHOACTIVE COMPONENT, IS LEGAL IN SEVERAL STATES AND USED BY SEVERAL PATIENTS FOR MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL PURPOSES. HOWEVER, FDA CLASSIFIES CANNABIS UNDER SCHEDULE 1, AND THUS ITS USE IS FORBIDDEN IN ANY PRODUCTS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL HIGHLIGHT THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, OFF-LABEL USES, PHARMACODYNAMICS, AND ADVERSE EVENTS IN THE USE OF THC SYNTHETIC ANALOGS FOR INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS MANAGING THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING OR AIDS-RELATED ANOREXIA.