which can include nausea,
coordination loss, and drowsiness.
For some patients who
do take opioids, its not
enough to provide adequate
pain relief.
These problems have led
some cancer patients to turn
to cannabis for relief. But is
cannabis for cancer pain really
safe, effective, and legal?
Cannabis for
Cancer: Safe &
Legal?
The legal status of cannabis
has changed so rapidly in recent
years that it can be hard
to keep up. However, there
are more states where consumers
can legally buy cannabis
products than not. Depending
on location, that may
mean consumers can legally
purchase recreational marijuana,
medical marijuana, or
medical CBD products.
Cannabis is also generally
considered safe, although that
doesnt mean its risk-free.
Marijuana causes short-term
cognitive impairment that affects
users thinking,
memory, and coordination
and may also cause drowsiness
and dizziness. This could
worsen certain side effects of
cancer treatment. CBD, a cannabis
compound that doesnt
produce a high, has fewer
risks than marijuana, but
some users report fatigue,
drowsiness, and gastrointestinal
issues when taking CBD,
and CBD can interact with
certain medications.
These side effects mean cannabis
isnt right for every cancer
patient, nor is cannabis
legal everywhere. Cancer patients
who are interested in
medical marijuana or CBD
should start by researching
cannabis laws and familiarizing
themselves with cannabisrelated
language, administration
methods, and dosages
before talking to their doctor.
How Cannabis
Treats Cancer
Pain
Safety and legality concerns
aside, does cannabis actually
work to relieve cancer pain?
As the ASCO Post discusses,
theres no high-quality scientific
evidence to support cannabis
for pain relief. However,
existing studies do show a
correlation between cannabinoid
use and improvements
in pain, nausea, vomiting, and
sleep problems.
There are two pathways by
which cannabis reduces pain.
First, both CBD and THC reduce
inflammation to relieve
pain associated with surgery,
radiation, swelling, or muscle
aches. THC and CBD also
influence nervous system receptors
to reduce the strength
of pain signals that are sent to
the brain. Through this pathway,
cannabis has the potential
to relieve both inflammatory
and neuropathic pain.
Although cannabis research is
still a work in progress, pain
has risen to the top reason that
people seek medical marijuana.
However, like other medications
and supplements, cancer
patients shouldnt dabble
in cannabis products without
talking to their doctor beforehand.
Since cannabis carries a
risk of medication interaction,
it should only be added to a
treatment regimen after a doctor
s careful approval.