Cannaboinoid Antiemetic Therapy

Excerpt

There are currently three cannabinoids available on the pharmaceutical market. Dronabinol and nabilone are both synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which the FDA has approved for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) after the failure of a trial of first-line anti-emetics. Both are also FDA-approved to treat anorexia associated with AIDS. Recently, the FDA has also approved a cannabidiol (CBD) product to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravel syndrome in pediatric patients. However, there is no FDA-approved indication for its use as an anti-emetic. This activity reviews the mechanism of action, adverse event profile, toxicity, dosing, pharmacodynamics, and monitoring of cannabinoid antiemetics, pertinent for clinicians and other interprofessional team members to ensure the appropriate utilization of these drugs.