THC pills are ingestible capsules that contain botanical extracts of the cannabis plant or synthetic cannabinoids. Pills containing botanical extracts are considered whole-plant cannabis products. These soft- or hard-shell pills contain liquid concentrates or ground up flower. Because the pills contain medicine extracted directly from the natural plant, they tend to contain a combination of cannabinoids rather than an isolated one.
Synthetic THC pills like nabilone and dronabinol (Marinol) are made with compounds that imitate the effects of natural cannabinoids. Although nabilone and dronabinol are designed to mimic cannabis, they are federally legal medications regulated by the FDA while cannabis remains classified as a Schedule I drug. Both nabilone and dronabinol are used to medicate chemotherapy-induced nausea. Because they lack the synergy between naturally occurring compounds in the cannabis plant, these synthetic cannabinoid therapies tend to have more severe side effects than whole-plant cannabis products.