Synthetic Pot Ok'd For Sale

Seventeen years after it was withdrawn from U.S. markets, a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana is going back on sale as a prescription treatment for the vomiting and nausea that often accompanies chemotherapy, its manufacturer said Tuesday.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International hopes to begin selling Cesamet (Sensamilla?) in the next two to three weeks, company president Wes Wheeler said.

The Costa Mesa, Calif. company received Food and Drug Administration approval Monday to resume sales of the drug, which it bought from Eli Lilly and Co. in 2004. Valeant currently sells the drug, also called nabilone, in Canada (A "run for the border" no longer needed, Canada OR Mexico!).

Lilly originally received FDA approval for nabilone in 1985 but withdrew it from the market in 1989 for commercial reasons, Wheeler said. Valeant, since purchasing the drug, has revised its label and updated its manufacturing process, he added (NOW 100% stronger for your enjo. . er pain relief!).

The drug will compete with Marinol, made by Belgium-based Solvay SA. Marinol, another synthetic version of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana that's more commonly known as THC. It also received FDA approval in 1985 (They approved THC in 1985? WOOHOO!).

Synthetic THC acts on the brain like the THC in smoked marijuana, but eliminates having to inhale the otherwise harmful smoke contained in the illegal drug, Valeant said (So. .you don't have to risk lung cancer to get high, but you have to HAVE cancer to get high legally? Got it.).

Cesamet is a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse (No shit??). The 1-milligram tablets are meant to be taken twice daily before cancer patients undergo chemotherapy and up to 48 hours following treatment (No word yet on the street value for these tabs). Side effects include euphoria, drowsiness, vertigo and dry mouth (In other words, it gets you HIGH!).

The FDA last month said it does not support the use of marijuana for medical purposes (But they JUST APPROVED IT).