A critical review of the safety and antiemetic efficacy of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.

Over the past six years, both government institutions and private enterprise have expressed great interest and activity in the isolation of chemical constituents from the Cannabis sativa plant and synthesis of novel cannabinoid compounds with potential medicinal uses. Evaluation of the safety and antiemetic efficacy of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary psychoactive cannabinoid component of marijuana, comprises one of several very active areas of cannabinoid clinical research. The results of clinical studies of the safety and antiemetic efficacy of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy are critically evaluated. Deficiencies in current knowledge of the clinical pharmacology of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are discussed in the context of antiemetic drug evaluation.