Marijuana’s Role in Cancer Treatment

Dealing with cancer can present a wide range of symptoms in a patient’s life. From the pain and discomfort the disease itself causes to the side effects of chemotherapy such as hair loss, a patient going through treatment for cancer will experience many different symptoms. In addition to physical manifestations, many patients and their loved ones also experience a lot of psychological effects stemming from the rigor of treatment and the gravity of the disease. While doctors do what they can to alleviate symptoms that arise from cancer and the ensuing treatment, the solutions available to patients are fairly limited.

Marijuana has a fairly long history of being used medicinally to treat cancer patients. The use of the drug is still a hotly debated topic across the nation, but new research is working to shed additional light on what role it could play in cancer treatment.

Often, the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing the term “marijuana” is its association of being a drug used for criminal purposes. Marijuana has only been legalized in certain states in America; in most others, it is still considered an illegal drug.

Dronabil is a man-made version of THC, a chemical commonly found in marijuana, and it has also been approved by the FDA for treating medical conditions such as cancer. Marijuana has been widely misused over the years, but it also has a long history of being used as the primary ingredient in many herbal treatments across the world.

Marijuana is generally thought of as a drug used to get others high. However, certain substances present in marijuana can interact with the body to produce a positive effect on some of the symptoms that accompany cancer treatments, such as relieving nausea and pain or reducing inflammation. When it is smoked, researchers have found that it helps to provide relief from nausea and vomiting, which are some of the side effects of chemotherapy.

Inhaled marijuana also helps to relieve neuropathic pain, which mostly occurs due to damage to the nerves caused by cancer. Many cancer patients who have used marijuana reported they mostly take the drug to find relief from the psychological effects of treatment and the disease itself, including stress, depression, and anxiety attacks.

Although it is helpful in providing relief from certain symptoms, one cannot overlook the negative side as well: it can reduce one’s motor skills and possibly cause patients to develop feelings of paranoia or anxiety attacks. Because of this, several alternative drugs have been developed by researchers that contain some of the same chemicals which are also found in marijuana, thereby replicating the positive effects the plant has on the body.

While the verdict is still out on the usage of marijuana in conjunction with cancer treatments, many patients have used this drug and experienced relief now that many states have legalized it.