Great Ganja! Pot Patch On the Way…And We’re Not Blowing Smoke.

Zynerba Pharmaceuticals is working towards patches to deliver cannabis-derived chemicals straight to the bloodstream. But before all the Mary Jane maniacs get carried away, this green dream is meant for those living with chronic illnesses (and not just illin’ for some chronic). Read a testimonial on how marijuana helps one patient with chronic AS pain here.

While other companies such as GW Pharmaceuticals and Insys Therapeutics have also ventured into the cannabis cash cow, Zynerba‘s taking a strictly synthetic approach. From a purely medicinal perspective, synthetics are financially more practical since they don’t require the growing and maintenance of any actual plants. Zynerba’s venture is intended to develop treatments for central nervous system disorders (such as refractory epilepsy and Fragile X syndrome).

But in recent years, synthetics have also made their way onto the streets. Recreational users looking for the next high have encountered a slew of problems from synthetics, including coma and death. In November 2010, the DEA issued an emergency edict proposing that four synthetic cannabinoids be placed under Schedule I control. In March 2011, those four chemicals and products that contain them became illegal in the U.S. To date, nine different synthetic marijuana compounds have been banned in the U.S.

John W. Huffman, the chemist who invented early synthetic compounds for pharmacological purposes, says the recreational use of synthetics is akin to hijacking. He considers those who use synthetics recreationally “idiots,” since those drugs–manufactured by “underground chemists”–have never been tested on humans.

Rest assured that Zynerba’s transdermal patches will certainly go through appropriate testing, as all FDA approved medications do. Their ZYN001 and ZYN002 compounds are set to enter clinical trials in the not-too-distant future.

So if you’re living with a condition that affects the nervous system, or living with chronic pain, would you try the synthetic patches when they undoubtedly come to market? Or are the horror stories from inappropriate use enough to make you stay away? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think or read more here.