Overview

Marijuana is made from the dried leaves and buds of the Cannabis sativa plant. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn't approved the use of the marijuana plant as medicine, many states have legalized marijuana use.

The FDA has approved two drugs, dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros) and nabilone (Cesamet), made from synthetic forms of ingredients found in marijuana. They can be legally prescribed for the treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy when other treatments have failed. Dronabinol might also be used for the treatment of decreased appetite associated with weight loss in people with HIV and AIDS.

The FDA has also approved a liquid medication (Epidiolex) containing a purified form of cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical found in marijuana. This drug can be used for the treatment of rare forms of severe childhood epilepsy (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome).

Medical marijuana is available as an oil, pill, vaporized liquid and nasal spray, as dried leaves and buds, and as the plant itself. The herb is typically used to treat nausea and vomiting associated with cancer treatment, loss of appetite and weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, chronic pain and muscle spasms.