Pharmacology · Class
Cannabinoids (medical antiemetics and appetite stimulants) !
Synthetic THC and related drugs that act on cannabinoid receptors. Reserved for chemotherapy vomiting that resists other drugs and AIDS weight loss.
Updated 2026-11-01
What they are
Dronabinol (synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and nabilone are oral cannabinoids used when standard antiemetics fail in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting; dronabinol also stimulates appetite in AIDS-related weight loss. They cause psychoactive effects and carry a risk of misuse.
Mechanism of action
Cannabinoids activate CB1 receptors, Gi/o-coupled receptors on presynaptic nerve terminals that reduce neurotransmitter release, densely expressed in the brain, including the brainstem vomiting centres and the hypothalamic circuits that control appetite; they also act on CB2 receptors, mostly on immune cells. Dronabinol is a low-efficacy agonist at both. The antiemetic and appetite effects come mainly from central CB1 activation, which also explains euphoria, sedation and changes in thinking.
Target: Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)
Drugs in this class
Others in the class
- Nabilone
- Cannabidiol (used in some epilepsies, not as an antiemetic)
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which receptor mediates the antiemetic and appetite effects of dronabinol?
The cannabinoid CB1 receptor in the central nervous system.
When are cannabinoids used for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting?
When conventional antiemetic regimens have failed.
Which paradoxical gut syndrome is linked to long-term cannabinoid use?
Cyclic nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain resembling the cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: DailyMed - DRONABINOL capsule (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 14th ed., ch. 26 (McGraw Hill, 2023); ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.