07/06/2021
Cannabis, Cancer, and Chemotherapy
One of the primary tools in the fight against cancer is chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, chemotherapy comes with a host of negative side effects, including
Nausea
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Medical cannabis can make a huge difference here. It has anti-nausea and appetite-stimulating properties, both of which can counteract the side effects listed above.
Cannabis, Cancer, and Neuropathic Pain
Another side effect of chemotherapy is nerve damage, which can result in neuropathy (nerve pain).
But neuropathy can also occur after surgery, radiation therapy, and in cases of advanced cancer.
Fortunately, cannabis is also a powerful pain reliever and can treat neuropathy without some of the more serious side effects associated with prescription painkillers.
Study Shows that Cannabis Could Prevent Cancer From Spreading
During a preclinical study, researchers found that CBD (one of marijuana’s key cannabinoids) can switch off a gene that’s responsible for making cancer cells multiply.
The study was performed using cell cultures and animals. While the results are certainly encouraging, it’s still too soon to say definitively that CBD can prevent cancer from metastasizing in humans.
Combining Cannabis With Other Types of Cancer Treatment
The internet is full of anecdotal evidence of people using cannabis oil to cure themselves of cancer.
Stories like these encourage researchers to continue studying cannabis’s medicinal properties. They also provide cancer patients a reason to be hopeful and optimistic, which is vital when battling this disease.
But some people are encouraging patients to stop chemotherapy or radiation therapy altogether in favor of alternative, “non-Western” treatment options such as eating a healthier diet, taking vitamin and nutrient supplements, practicing meditation/yoga, and, of course, consuming cannabis.
Choosing the right kind of cancer treatment is an important, life-changing decision as well as a personal one. Y
