CCRMG

Autumn 2005
O'Shaughnessy's
Journal of the California Cannabis Research Medical Group

Case Note:
Extreme Sensitivity to Marinol
A married 51-year-old male computer scientist with severe migraines for some 16 years experienced serious adverse effects from conventional treatments of Immitrex, Maxalt, amitriptyline, antivert; lives in a state with no legal access to medical marijuana; discovered that small amounts of Marinol would control his headaches. (And concurrently his irritable bowel syndrome as well.) Sensitive to most medications, he discovered cannabis to be efficacious without adverse effects. Because of its illegal status, Marinol (dronabinol) was begun. The 2.5 mg dose would put him to sleep and he would wake up feeling stoned. So he took to extracting a quarter of the 2.5 milligram dose with a needle. That worked for a couple of years but now he’s developed sensitivity even to the lower dose. He’s tried discontinuing on several occasions times but the migraines return. Suggested that the patient explore the legality of obtaining Sativex through Canada.

I contacted the regional representative from Solvay, who will forward this case report to their medical department. The preparation of dronabinol of lesser concentration might solve the problem. The other possibility is an inhaled preparation for finer titration. Solvay is working on this, I was told by the representative.
—Tod Mikuriya, MD

O'Shaughnessy's

O'Shaughnessy's is the journal of the CCRMG/SCC. Our primary goals are the same as the stated goals of any reputable scientific publication: to bring out findings that are accurate, duplicable, and useful to the community at large. But in order to do this, we have to pursue parallel goals such as removing the impediments to clinical research created by Prohibition, and educating our colleagues, co-workers and patients as we educate ourselves about the medical uses of cannabis.

SCC

The Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC) was formed in the Autumn of 2004 by the member physicians of CCRMG to aid in the promulgation of voluntary standards for clinicians engaged in the recommendation and approval of cannabis under California law (HSC §11362.5).

As the collaborative effort continues to move closer to issueing guidelines, this site serves as a public venue for airing and discussing these guidelines.

Visit the SCC Site for more information.