MARINOL SIDE EFFECTS LIMIT ITS USEFULNESS

Regarding a Nov. 24 letter to the editor titled "Man-made cannabis
already available," many people are aware of the drug Marinol, the
synthetic pill form of cannabis. However, it's important to clarify
its effectiveness.

Marinol is not always a simple substitution for marijuana. I have been
prescribed Marinol at several different points during my life. The
first time, I was 17 and had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Marinol can be helpful in certain situations, but far from all of
them. The problem I and many others have with Marinol is our inability
to keep the pills down once they are taken. My nausea was so severe
that I couldn't even keep the medicine down. You can't get the relief
of the medicine if you can't keep it in your body long enough for it
to digest.

That's what makes marijuana an excellent option. Its medicinal
properties are absorbed into the bloodstream instantaneously. My
doctors encouraged me to smoke marijuana. For me and numerous others,
marijuana is the only drug that has given relief.

- - Randall Prazuch, cancer survivor, Eau C