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Dronabinol

  • Prescription medicine
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Dronabinol does in the body

MARINOL is indicated in adults for the treatment of: • anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). • nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments.

From the FDA-approved label: Dronabinol is an orally active cannabinoid which has complex effects on the CNS, including central sympathomimetic activity. Cannabinoid receptors have been discovered in neural tissues. These receptors may play a role in mediating the effects of dronabinol.

Why people take it. MARINOL is indicated in adults for the treatment of: • anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). • nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments.

What happened in people

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

A fixed RNAWiki sentence

Where this came from

Wording RNAWiki always uses, not a finding about this substance.

No reviewed claim names a result for any goal on this record.

No source is stored against this line.

The limit that matters most

Not recorded.

Where it acts
Not recorded.
Kind of result
No result is published, so no kind of result applies yet
Supervision
Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

What the registries record it as

  • The substance registry classes this as chemical.

    FDA substance registry · 7J8897W37S · read 2026-08-29

Where each sentence above came from

The use the label states, quoted from it. No plain-language version of this sentence has been written.

The use the label states, quoted from it. It is written for a clinician, not for a reader without medical training.

No statement of the main limit is recorded.

The four opening statements run to 134 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Biomarker

A biomarker is a number from a test that stands in for something about health.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A biomarker is like a fuel gauge.

Where that stops being true. A gauge is wired to the tank. Many biomarkers are only loosely tied to health.

What people get wrong. A better number is read as a better life. Several medicines improved a number and helped nobody.

A measurable indicator used as a substitute for a clinical outcome of interest.

Stand-in result

A stand-in result is a number measured because the real result takes too long.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like judging a journey by the speedometer rather than by arriving.

Where that stops being true. Speed does predict arrival. Many stand-in results do not predict the real one.

What people get wrong. A stand-in result is often reported as the result itself.

A surrogate endpoint substituted for a clinical endpoint, valid only where the substitution has been shown to hold.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What was measured, goal by goal

One row for each goal a registered study measured something for. One column for each kind of thing that could be measured.

Registered studies list 40 outcome measures that RNAWiki could read. A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. 0 of the matched studies tested this substance, and 0 posted a result.

There is no single score. A strong test result and a weak life result are different facts.

Goals down the side, kinds of measurement across the top. Each cell says what kind of thing was registered, not what was found.
GoalLife outcomeWhat a body can doHow a person feelsA test resultA step in the bodyHarmsHow longWho was studied
PainNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer2 registered symptom measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
Body weightNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a symptom measure for this goal.Only a number moved1 registered test measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
Which registered measures put each goal on this table
Pain
pain intensity; analgesic efficacy; numerical pain intensity
Body weight
weight gain

Sorted by fixed word lists, version v1. A name the rules do not recognise stays unsorted rather than moving to the nearest column.

What each mark on this table means
Nothing in the sources checked
No registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.
Waiting for a reviewer
2 registered symptom measure.
Not recorded
Harms were not a registered measure for this goal.
Only a number moved
1 registered test measure.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

Milligrams of THC Purchased

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT07216911
How many people
2000
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Alcohol Use (total standard drinks) in the past 30 days

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT07059078
How many people
1500
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Product Appeal Scoring

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT06358144
How many people
1260
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Change from Baseline in Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9-THC-COOH) levels

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT04567394
How many people
1077
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Efficacy based on pain reduction

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT06956014
How many people
810
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Percentage of Participants Achieving Stable Dose of EMBEDA Within 6 Weeks Titration Phase

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT01179191
How many people
684
Study design
Phase 4
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
What we know
RNAWiki holds 6 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How close this is to real life

The top step is something a person would feel or care about. The bottom is a guess from software. Filled steps are where evidence exists for this substance.

  1. Living longer, or avoiding a major event Evidence recorded. Death, a heart attack, a stroke, a hospital stay.1 registered measure of this kind. No reviewed result.
  2. What a body can do day to day No evidence recorded. Walking, dressing, breathing, recovering.No registered study measures this.
  3. Measured performance No evidence recorded. How much was lifted, how far was run, how fast.No registered study measures this.
  4. Symptoms and quality of life Evidence recorded. Pain, tiredness, mood, sleep, as the person rated it.5 registered measures of this kind.
  5. A number that stands in for health Evidence recorded. Cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density. A stand-in, not the thing itself.1 registered measure of this kind.
  6. A step measured inside a person Evidence recorded. Something measured in human tissue or human cells.A human record sits on the stored organism ladder.
  7. Animals No evidence recorded. Mice, rats, dogs. Useful for ideas, not proof about people.No animal record is stored.
  8. Cells in a dish No evidence recorded. Cells or chemistry on a bench, far from a whole body.No cell or bench record is stored.
  9. A guess from software No evidence recorded. Nobody measured it. RNAWiki never publishes one as a finding.RNAWiki stores no prediction for this record. Software can suggest a link. RNAWiki does not publish one as a finding.

Higher on these steps means closer to something a person would feel. It does not mean better done.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Felt, measured, or meaningful

Three different things that get called the same word. Registered studies measured all three, and mixing them is how a blood test becomes a health claim.

Felt

Things a person could notice without a test.

  • pain intensity
  • neuropsychiatric inventory
  • physician global impression of change questionnaire
  • positive and negative symptom scale for schizophrenia
  • numerical pain intensity

Measured

Things only a test, a scale or a device shows.

  • weight gain

Meaningful

Things that change how a life goes, not only a number.

  • marijuana relapse

A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. A number moving is not the same as a life going better. The two are shown apart here.

Felt, but not shown to help. A person notices a change. No study showed it leads anywhere good.

Measured, but not felt. A number moves. The person notices nothing. Both can be true.

Measured, but not shown to matter. A number moves in the good direction. Nobody showed that lives went better.

Matters, but takes years. The result that counts may take longer than anyone would keep watching.

Names that fit none of the three (33)
  • tolerability rate
  • cardiovascular responses
  • total protection in the acute delayed and overall periods
  • behavioral measures
  • week 0 to week 3 in the rate of torque increase flexion
  • week 0 to week 3 in the rate of torque increase extension
  • week 0 to week 7 in the rate of torque increase flexion
  • lido machine rate of torque increase extension
  • incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting
  • colonic transit geometric center at 24 hours
  • bioequivalence
  • rate and extent of absorption
  • psychomotor impairment
  • capsaicin induced hyperalgesia
  • cannabis use at 10 weeks
  • thc adverse effects checklist and self reporting by the
  • epworth sleepiness scale
  • analgesic efficacy
  • incidence of adverse events as a measure of safety
  • brain reward circuit activation on fmri scan

These are harms, study-process measures, or names the rules did not recognise. They are shown rather than dropped.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How long anything takes

Nine different lengths of time that get confused with each other. None of them is worked out from another.

  1. Before anything is noticed. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  2. Before a test result moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  3. Before performance moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  4. How long the result was watched. No finished study window is recorded for a study that tested this substance.

  5. How long people took it. How long people actually took it is not stored. The study window is not the same thing.

  6. How long people were followed. Follow-up length is not stored separately. It is never read off the study window, which would be a different thing.

  7. How fast the body clears it. 4 hours hours

    Read from the label, which states: “Published data showed an increase in the elimination half-life of pentobarbital by 4 hours when concomitantly dosed with dronabinol [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)] . 12 CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY 12.1 Mechanism of Action Dronabinol is an orally active cannabinoid which has complex effects on the CNS, including central sympathomimetic activity.”

  8. How long effects linger. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  9. Beyond the studies. Nothing is recorded about the long term.

    The longest finished study sets the edge of what anyone measured.

A study window is not how long people took it, and neither is how long they were followed. Where RNAWiki holds only one of the three, it shows one.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • Dronabinol oral solution is indicated in adults for the treatment of: anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments.

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What the label states about particular groups

  • On pediatric, the label states: “The safety and effectiveness of MARINOL have not been established in pediatric patients.”

    US prescribing information · 628f9609-6583-49be-be77-b64cfbc46fd7 · read 2026-08-30

  • On older people, the label states: “Clinical studies of MARINOL in AIDS and cancer patients did not include the sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects.”

    US prescribing information · 628f9609-6583-49be-be77-b64cfbc46fd7 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are pregnant, the label states: “Risk Summary MARINOL, a synthetic cannabinoid, may cause fetal harm.”

    US prescribing information · 628f9609-6583-49be-be77-b64cfbc46fd7 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are breastfeeding, the label states: “Risk Summary For mothers infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that HIV-infected mothers not breastfeed their infants to avoid risking postnatal transmission of HIV.”

    US prescribing information · 628f9609-6583-49be-be77-b64cfbc46fd7 · read 2026-08-30

Where the result stopped carrying

  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied for a different goal

The studies measured something else entirely.

On this record: Some registered studies measured things that match no goal on this page.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (10)
A different form was studied
The studied form is not the form on the shelf. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
There was nothing to correct
Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Suppression classes recorded: S2.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Sold as capsule, solution, given by the oral route.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold and what that means for what is in the pack.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeNothing found in the sources checked

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Nothing found in the sources checked

No harm is recorded against this substance in the sources RNAWiki checked. Finding nothing is not the same as showing there is nothing.

The sources listed were searched and held nothing. That is not the same as nothing existing.

Reports sent to a regulator

  • These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction.
  • Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing.
  • The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete.
  • News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report.
  • A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Dronabinol appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 1665 reaction mentions were counted. One report can name several reactions.

The recorded terms (10)
  • drug abuse — 538 reaction mentions
  • drug dependence — 242 reaction mentions
  • toxicity to various agents — 153 reaction mentions
  • somnolence — 135 reaction mentions
  • agitation — 116 reaction mentions
  • substance abuse — 113 reaction mentions
  • coma — 110 reaction mentions
  • vomiting — 101 reaction mentions
  • miosis — 81 reaction mentions
  • aggression — 76 reaction mentions
  • open-targets-adr · recorded 2026-06-24 · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

Nothing further is recorded about which forms are sold.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 25 products list this as an active ingredient in the United States drug directory. 25 of them contain it and nothing else.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 0904-7144 · read 2026-08-29

  • They are sold as capsule, liquid, oil and solution, taken oral.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 0904-7144 · read 2026-08-29

  • The regulator's established pharmacologic class for it is cannabinoid [epc] and cannabinoids [cs].

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 0904-7144 · read 2026-08-29

  • 9 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 9 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · 44205ae6-b86a-485c-baf6-233a2c878640 · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · 44205ae6-b86a-485c-baf6-233a2c878640 · read 2026-08-29

  • Marinol is oral at 3 DOSAGE FORMS & STRENGTHS MARINOL is supplied as round, soft gelatin capsules for oral use as follows: • 2.5 mg white capsules (Identified UM) • 5 mg dark brown capsules (Identified UM) • 10 mg orange capsules (Identif…, recorded as fda label in effect 2019-04-08 in the United States.

    US prescribing information · 628f9609-6583-49be-be77-b64cfbc46fd7 · read 2026-08-30

  • Recorded price in US: 3.06453 USD per one unit as the pricing file counts it — a tablet, capsule, patch or single item, across 4 priced products whose strengths and pack forms differ, as of 2026-08-26, paid by retail pharmacies buying the product, as surveyed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is not a list price, an insurance price, or what anyone pays at a counter..

    Recorded source · 2026-08-26 · read 2026-08-28

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

Self-experiment planning is not offered for a prescription or clinician-supervised medicine. The questions below are for a clinician or pharmacist.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Dronabinol studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Dronabinol are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Check any of this yourself

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How many documents were read

  • 9 documents were read for this substance.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 9 of them state the same halfLife, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 9 of them state the same proteinBinding, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 9 of them state the same volumeOfDistribution, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
7J8897W37S
RxNorm concept
1928948

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How this medicine reached us

Kept near the foot of the page. A historical event moves up only when it changes something about this substance today.

What the approval register records

  • 7 approved applications cover products containing this substance. The earliest was NDA018651, approved 19850531 to ALKEM LABS LTD.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA018651 · read 2026-08-29

  • Marketing status on the register: discontinued and prescription.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA018651 · read 2026-08-29

  • The earliest marketing start date recorded for a listed product is 19850531.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 0904-7144 · read 2026-08-29

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Recorded evidence blocks (12)

What did Dronabinol's largest trial (978 people) and its longest (13 years) measure?


978 people in Dronabinol's largest registered study, 13 years in its longest registered window, measuring Pharmacokinetic analysis - Unbound maximum plasma concentration (Cmax(u)) of Sativex® in healthy patients and in patients with hepatic impairment. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

52 phase2, 39 phase1, 19 phase3, 15 early phase1, 14 na, 12 phase4, 2 na or unstated; NCT02102113; 2026-12; no ageing endpoint recorded. Last human test completed 2026, NCT04374773.

Interpretation These counts include studies where Dronabinol was a comparison treatment, a background treatment or an exposure in an observational study, and the longest window may be a planned end date. Trial roles have not yet been classified for this record.

Show the evidence
  • phase2
    52
  • phase1
    39
  • phase3
    19
  • early phase1
    15
  • na
    14
  • phase4
    12
2 more recorded rows
  • na or unstated
    2
  • Last recorded human test NCT04374773
    2026-02-28

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Dronabinol was tested only in human — what did it show?


human: biomarker (137): the rungs where Dronabinol has a recorded finding. Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · organism ladder · 2026-09-01

Interpretation Pharmacokinetic analysis - Unbound maximum plasma concentration (Cmax(u)) of Sativex® in healthy patients and in patients with hepatic impairment — the recorded outcome words.

Yeast C. elegans Drosophila Mouse Rat Dog Non-human primate Human biomarker
Show the evidence
  • human NCT01887301
    biomarker; Pharmacokinetic analysis - Unbound maximum plasma concentration (Cmax(u)) of Sativex® in healthy patients and in patients with hepatic impairment; 137

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

16 of Dronabinol's trials stopped: safety, accrual/recruitment, funding/business, other?


safety (1), accrual/recruitment (5), funding/business (3) and other (7): Dronabinol's stop wording, clustered. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

"Unable to complete subject recruitment"; 16 of 137 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00682929
    terminated; "Unable to complete subject recruitment"
  • NCT01598896
    terminated; "low enrollment due to limited resources"
  • NCT01832766
    terminated; "Unable to find subjects with schizophrenia that were using only cannabis"
  • NCT01975688
    terminated; "Slow recruitment"
  • NCT02492074
    withdrawn; "No documents were ever submitted to the Ethics Committee or the competent authority because it was not possible to establish the planned PET measurements in Germany. Therefore, the study never started."
  • NCT02569073
    withdrawn; "Funding"
10 further recorded trials
  • NCT02608931
    withdrawn; "Unable to begin study with drug provider"
  • NCT03555968
    withdrawn; "Logistical issues"
  • NCT03928015
    withdrawn; "This trial did not enroll subjects. After initial approval we procured an appropriate placebo. Before IRB the amendment was approved, the COVID-19 pandemic placed a hold on all non-essential research activity at the enrolling hospital."
  • NCT03978156
    terminated; "Covid-19. Relocation of trainee/investigator. Covid-19."
  • NCT04155008
    terminated; "The trial was closed after 4 months due to slow to accrual. Only 1 participant was enrolled."
  • NCT04231643
    terminated; "Budgetary limitations prevented us from completing our planned sample size."
  • NCT05427630
    suspended; "Inadequate funding"
  • NCT05612711
    withdrawn; "Not funded"
  • NCT05820685
    terminated; "Study concluded because of drug shortage"
  • NCT06834997
    withdrawn; "Due to an ongoing national shortage of dronabinol, the study is being discontinued. Given the inability to ensure consistent medication availability, continuation of the study would compromise protocol integrity and participant safety."

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Human studies of Dronabinol used Dronabinol 30mg/day — over how long?


studies of Dronabinol used the recorded amount. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

14 recorded entries; human; also "Dronabinol 30mg/day", "Dronabinol 60mg/day", "Dronabinol 120mg/day"

Show the evidence

human

  • NCT00893074
    Dronabinol 30mg/day
  • NCT00893074
    Dronabinol 60mg/day
  • NCT00893074
    Dronabinol 120mg/day
  • NCT01394185
    Dronabinol 240mg/day
  • NCT01448772
    Dronabinol Capsules, 5 mg
  • NCT02094599
    Dronabinol 10 mg
8 more recorded rows
  • human NCT02094599
    Dronabinol 30 mg
  • human NCT03604341
    Dronabinol 5mg Cap
  • human NCT03978156
    Dronabinol 2.5 MG
  • human NCT04346407
    Dronabinol 2.5mg Cap
  • human NCT04596826
    Dronabinol 5 MG
  • human NCT04596826
    Dronabinol 10 MG
  • human NCT05226351
    Dronabinol 2.5 mg
  • human NCT06473701
    Dronabinol 2.5mg Capsule

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Dronabinol's half-life is 4 hours — which schedules were studied?


4 hours, the half-life Dronabinol's label states. openfda-label · fd8c5d57-0173-4f62-8ff0-d8147986a976 · 2026-08-30

Show the evidence
  • half life
    4 hours hours; Published data showed an increase in the elimination half-life of pentobarbital by 4 hours when concomitantly dosed with dronabinol [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)] . 12 CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY 12.1 Mechanism of Action Dronabinol is an orally active cannabinoid which has complex effects on the CNS, including central sympathomimetic activity.
  • tmax
    Summary of Multiple-Dose Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Dronabinol in Healthy Subjects (n=34; 20-45 years) under Fasted Conditions Mean (SD) PK Parameter Values Twice Daily Dose C max ng/mL Median T max (range), hr AUC (0-12) ng•hr/mL 2.5 mg 1.32 (0.62) 1.00 (0.50-4.00) 2.88 (1.57) 5 mg 2.96 (1.81) 2.50 (0.50-4.00) 6.16 (1.85) 10 mg 7.88 (4.54) 1.50 (0.50-3.50) 15.2 (5.52) C max : maximum observed…
  • metabolism
    Metabolism Dronabinol undergoes extensive first-pass hepatic metabolism, primarily by hydroxylation, yielding both active and inactive metabolites.

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of analgesic efficacy, area under the curve extrapolated to infinity and behavioral measures did Dronabinol's trials measure?


analgesic efficacy, area under the curve extrapolated to infinity and behavioral measures lead 40 outcome terms across Dronabinol's trials. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

total protection in the acute delayed and overall periods, behavioral measures, week 0 to week 3 in the rate of torque increase flexion, week 0 to week 3 in the rate of torque increase extension, week 0 to week 7 in the rate of torque increase flexion and lido machine rate of torque increase extension follow.

Show the evidence
  • tolerability rate
    1
  • marijuana relapse
    1
  • cardiovascular responses
    1
  • total protection in the acute delayed and overall periods
    1
  • behavioral measures
    1
  • week 0 to week 3 in the rate of torque increase flexion
    1
14 more recorded rows
  • week 0 to week 3 in the rate of torque increase extension
    1
  • week 0 to week 7 in the rate of torque increase flexion
    1
  • lido machine rate of torque increase extension
    1
  • incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting
    1
  • weight gain
    1
  • colonic transit geometric center at 24 hours
    1
  • pain intensity
    1
  • bioequivalence
    1
  • rate and extent of absorption
    1
  • psychomotor impairment
    1
  • capsaicin induced hyperalgesia
    1
  • cannabis use at 10 weeks
    1
  • neuropsychiatric inventory
    1
  • thc adverse effects checklist and self reporting by the
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of Dronabinol's 28 ongoing trials reports first?


28 registered trials of Dronabinol are open; earliest completion 2025-08-28. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

Positive and Negative Symptom Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS); Rewarding Effects measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS); latest 2030-12-01

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT02102113
    "Probing the Cannabinoid System in Individuals With a Family History of Psychosis"; n 21; "Positive and Negative Symptom Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS)"; 2026-12
  • NCT02781519
    "Gender Related Differences in the Acute Effects of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Healthy Humans"; n 100; "Rewarding Effects measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)"; 2026-12
  • NCT02811510
    "Gender Related Differences in the Acute Effects of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Healthy Humans: Sub-Study I"; n 40; "Change from Baseline: Rewarding Effects measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)"; 2026-12
  • NCT04025359
    "Effects of Dronabinol in Opioid Maintained Patients"; n 36; "Pain sensitivity, measured by the Cold Pressor Test (CPT)."; 2027-01-31
  • NCT04704271
    "Gender Related Differences in the Acute Effects of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Healthy Humans: Sub-Study II"; n 100; "Change from Baseline: Rewarding Effects measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)"; 2027-12-01
  • NCT04871269
    "The Effect of Dronabinol on the Acquisition and Consolidation of Trauma-Associated Memories"; n 291; "Change of Intrusive Memories in the following four days after the intervention"; 2025-08-28
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT04992624
    "Cannabinoid Interactions With Central and Peripheral Pain Mechanisms in Osteoarthritis of the Knee"; n 200; "Default mode network (DMN) to insula connectivity via functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI)"; 2026-10-31
  • NCT05052541
    "Safety and Efficacy of Oral Cannabis in Chronic Spine Pain"; n 157; "Change in chronic pain as measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain"; 2027-06
  • NCT05067387
    "Evaluation of Oral THC and CBD in Men and Women"; n 22; "Ratings of subjective drug effects"; 2028-06-15
  • NCT05335252
    "Dronabinol After Arthroscopic Surgery"; n 30; "Opioid consumption"; 2027-06
  • NCT05351801
    "Proof of Concept Trial of Cannabis Derivatives in Neuropathic Pain"; n 320; "To compare the short-term efficacy of THC, CBD, or THC+CBD vs Placebo on Neuropathic Pain as measured by the Numeric Rating Scale of Pain"; 2029-05-31
  • NCT05514899
    "Effects of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol on Microbiome and Neuroinflammation in HIV"; n 90; "PC1"; 2027-10-31
  • NCT05519111
    "Cannabinoids for the Reduction of Inflammation and Sickle Cell Related Pain"; n 60; "Patient Reported Measurement Outcome Information System (PROMIS) pain impact score"; 2027-05-01
  • NCT05865470
    "Age-dependent Effects of Smoked and Oral Delta-9-THC"; n 103; "Subject-rated drug effects"; 2029-10-15
  • NCT05906511
    "PK/PD of Oral and Vaporized Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Older Adults"; n 20; "Peak concentration (Cmax)"; 2026-08-31
  • NCT06034314
    "Oral Dronabinol-HIV"; n 160; "Change in Dronabinol-induced transcriptome profile in blood using single cell (sc)RNA-seq"; 2028-10-01
  • NCT06454669
    "Dronabinol as an Adjunct for Reducing Pain"; n 75; "Pain Intensity"; 2029-12-31
  • NCT06473701
    "Reducing Breathlessness With Dronabinol in COPD Patients"; n 30; "Difference in Numeric Rating Scale score of discomfort of daily breathlessness between active treatment and placebo"; 2026-10
  • NCT06477952
    "DRonabinol Treatment of OSA"; n 120; "Apnea hypopnea index (AHI)"; 2026-12-31
  • NCT06601218
    "Impact of Daily Oral Cannabis Doses in Patients With Cancer"; n 80; "Percent of participants that withdraw from the study or are removed due to adverse events"; 2030-12-01

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 38 trials of Dronabinol posted no result?


Posted no result
38 of 38 completed trials
Registrations
NCT00642512, NCT00642499, NCT00079560, NCT00153192, NCT01380457 and NCT00812851, and 32 more
Completion dates
oldest 2004-07; newest 2024-08-15
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00642512
    2004-07
  • NCT00642499
    2005-04
  • NCT00079560
    2005-08
  • NCT00153192
    2006-04
  • NCT01380457
    2006-04
  • NCT00812851
    2008-04
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT01323569
    2008-06
  • NCT00373503
    2008-09
  • NCT00316563
    2009-11
  • NCT00959218
    2010-04
  • NCT00760695
    2011-12
  • NCT01448772
    2011-12
  • NCT01595620
    2012-04-19
  • NCT01740960
    2012-12
  • NCT01318369
    2013-05
  • NCT01887301
    2014-05
  • NCT02094599
    2014-05
  • NCT01551511
    2014-06
  • NCT01562483
    2014-06
  • NCT01608217
    2014-06

At the median, Dronabinol's trials enrolled 43 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
43
Largest enrolment
978
Registered trials counted
137

What do 1665 spontaneous reports say about Dronabinol — and not say?


These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction. Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing. The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete. News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report. A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Dronabinol appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 1665 reaction mentions were counted: drug abuse 538; drug dependence 242; toxicity to various agents 153; somnolence 135. open-targets-adr · CHEMBL465 · 2026-06-24

Show the evidence
  • drug abuse
    538
  • drug dependence
    242
  • toxicity to various agents
    153
  • somnolence
    135
  • agitation
    116
  • substance abuse
    113
4 more recorded rows
  • coma
    110
  • vomiting
    101
  • miosis
    81
  • aggression
    76

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

Dronabinol and CYP2C9 and CYP3A4: shared by which compounds?


CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 appear in Dronabinol's recorded interaction sentences, 4 in all. openfda-label+europepmc · 2026-08-30

Interpretation pharmacokinetics, clinical_pharmacology

Show the evidence

CYP2C9

  • pharmacokinetics
    Published in vitro data indicates that CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 are the primary enzymes in the metabolism of dronabinol.
  • pharmacokinetics
    CYP2C9 appears to be the enzyme responsible for the formation of the primary active metabolite [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.5)] .
  • clinical_pharmacology
    Published data showed an increase in the elimination half-life of pentobarbital by 4 hours when concomitantly dosed with dronabinol [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)] . 12.5 Pharmacogenomics Published data indicate a potentially 2-to 3-fold higher dronabinol exposure in individuals carrying genetic variants associated with diminished CYP2C9 function.
  • CYP3A4 pharmacokinetics
    Published in vitro data indicates that CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 are the primary enzymes in the metabolism of dronabinol.

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

Was Dronabinol studied with fasting and exercise?


fasting and exercise are named in Dronabinol's label sentences: "Healthy volunteers were randomized to either dronabinol oral solution 4.25 mg (fed) or dronabinol capsule 5 mg (fed or fasted)." openfda-label+europepmc · 2026-08-30

2 recorded statements; fasting, exercise

Show the evidence
  • fasting
    Healthy volunteers were randomized to either dronabinol oral solution 4.25 mg (fed) or dronabinol capsule 5 mg (fed or fasted).
  • exercise
    A total of 11 participants (with mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second 50.8 ± 24.8%) completed the study with no improvement in dyspnea at rest or postexercise taking dronabinol versus placebo (Borg scale 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.59 to 1.14 versus 0.23 points, 95% CI -0.71 to 1.07 at rest and 0.82, 95% CI -0.59 to 2.22 versus 0.36 points, 95% CI 0.13 to 2.78 post exercise;…

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL465
PubChem CID
16078
CAS number
1972-08-3
RxCUI
10402
InChIKey
CYQFCXCEBYINGO-IAGOWNOFSA-N
Development code
ABBOTT 40566, J882F, NSC-134454, QCD 84924, SP 104
Also called
.delta.1-thc, .delta.-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, .delta.9-thc, Tetrahydrocannabinol, Tetrahydrocannabinols (-)-trans-.delta.9-form, bx-1, cannabis, cbd, d9-thc, high thc marijuana, marijuana, namisol
Trade name
Dronabinol component of ad-313, Dronabinol component of ad313, Dronabinol component of sci-110, Marinol, Syndros, Marinol / Syndros, Marinol and Syndros as dronabinol, the synthetic form; a component of nabiximols
Salt form
oral thc, thc/cbd spray
Sources (9)

Sources

3 more sources
  • openfda-label fd8c5d57-0173-4f62-8ff0-d8147986a976 ·
  • openfda-label+europepmc K1:7J8897W37S ·
  • national registers US, CA ·

ChEMBL ATC CC BY-SA · ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Europe PMC — metadata only, under the recorded legal gate · Open Targets 26.06 — CC0 · derived from this page's own recorded fields; no external licence · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md · openFDA / DailyMed — US Government work

How these records are assembled · Which registers were checked

Index-quality checks
  • identity passed: no open identity hold
  • required summary fields resolved: 5 required field(s) not terminal: Why people use it, Best-supported result, Most important common problem, Biggest unanswered question, Human evidence
  • public claims reviewed: 0 reviewed claim(s); drafts are never rendered
  • source coverage passed: 9 source rows
  • no critical contamination: no quarantine open
  • canonical metadata passed: slug and display name present
  • no raw internal fields: enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

This is a record of evidence. It is not medical advice, and it does not say this substance suits you. Nothing here says any substance on RNAWiki is appropriate for a child.