By Pat Anson, Editor

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has approved a synthetic form of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – the active ingredient in marijuana that makes people “high” – as a Schedule II controlled substance. The move is the final regulatory hurdle for dronabinol (Syndros), an oral solution already being prescribed for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients, and as an appetite stimulant for AIDS patients.

Schedule II substances include oxycodone, hydrocodone and other drugs that have an accepted medical use, but a high abuse potential.

The DEA announced the scheduling of dronabinol in a notice quietly published in the Federal Register the day before Thanksgiving. The agency adopted an interim rule classifying dronabinol as a Schedule II substance in March, and the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug application for dronabinol in July, recommending that DEA make its rule final.

This week’s action was not unexpected, but is weirdly ironic on several levels.

The classification of dronabinal as a Schedule II substance means that a synthetic version of marijuana can be legally prescribed throughout the country, while real marijuana is still classified as a dangerous Schedule I substance and remains illegal under federal law – except in the 29 states and the District of Columbia where medical cannabis is legal.