Health

Can Cannabis (CBD) Help Treat Cancer?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is an essential chemical compound found in the cannabis plant and its application in the treatment of several ailments such as cancer has made it popular.

Although several reports have shown promising results about the efficacy of cannabis in treating cancer, many still believe it’s too early to make assumptions about cannabis as a treatment for cancer. They believe more research needs to be carried out by experts to find more info about the efficacy of CBD

Reasons to Believe CBD is a Treat for Cancer

Just like most chronic ailments, cancer has its symptoms. Some of these symptoms include anxiety and chronic pain. Thankfully, CBD has been shown to help manage and improve these symptoms. This is one major reason why people believe the compound can help treat cancer. microdose shrooms

Meanwhile, here are some other reasons to believe that cannabis can help supplement cancer treatments.

Stimulating Appetite

Many cancer patients experience some side effects from their treatment such as loss of appetite. These side effects can make it challenging for them to maintain a healthy weight. Cannabis, on the other hand, has been shown to stimulate the appetite. Therefore, it is suggested that cancer patients experiencing a loss of appetite should be treated with cannabis to improve their appetite. However, there is no solid proof that CBD alone stimulates this effect.

Relieving Pain

Cancer as well as its treatment can result in severe pains in some patients. The pain experienced by cancer patients is usually due to inflammation, nerve injuries, and pressure on internal organs. The pains can be so severe that it becomes resistant to some powerful pain relief medications like opioids.

Thankfully, cannabis has proven to be an effective painkiller for even the most severe kinds of pain. This is because it acts indirectly on the CB2 receptors, thereby reducing inflammation and causing widespread pain relief.

Easing Nausea

Chemotherapy and some other cancer medications may cause nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Due to its antinausea effect, Cannabis products have been useful in treating patients suffering from nausea However, studies show that the antinausea effect is likely from the THC, and not the CBD in the plant. Therefore, any patient who wishes to use cannabis to reduce nausea must be ready for the psychoactive effects of THC in cannabis products. Also, any doctor who would prescribe cannabis for patients suffering from nausea should discuss the side effects with the patient beforehand.

Can CBD Treat Cancer?

As much as there have been a lot of talks about cannabis being a good cancer treatment, there hasn’t been large clinical trials to investigate this. Although small pilot studies have been carried out to test the use of cannabis or cannabinoids, like CBD and THC as a cancer treatment, no concrete proof has been revealed. Some researchers have tried both THC and CBD during chemotherapy to treat brain cancer, but this is still in the early stages. Drying weed plants

The positives that can be taken from the little research on using cannabis to treat cancer is that some of its compounds like cannabinoids have been shown to inhibit the growth of some types of tumor cells. It has even been successful in both the test tube and animal models. This is a big win but it still remains inconclusive.

Also, some types and dosages of cannabinoids may suppress the immune system. If this happens, it leaves room for cancer tumors to grow unchecked, thereby defeating the purpose. Until much more research has been carried out and test runs perfected, CBD only remains a prospect for treating cancer.

Some Other Conditions That Cannabis Can Be Used To Treat

Anxiety and Depression

Many studies have shown that cannabis has considerable potential to treat depression and anxiety disorders. Some of the disorders you can treat with cannabis include obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD, seasonal affective disorder and generalized anxiety disorders.

Epilepsy

Epilepsyis another condition that cannabis can be used to treat according to anecdotal reports on CBD. In fact, it has been used to treat epilepsyfor decades, and this claim is supported by several scientific studies. Cannabis has been effective at reducing seizures in epileptic people and gradually helps them heal from the condition.

Acne and Other Skin Issues

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in 2014, cannabis is suggested to be a potent treatment for acne and other skin issues. Its anti-acne properties come from it being a good anti-inflammatory agent. Cannabis is also suggested to be a good treatment for eczema, psoriasis, itching and other skin infections.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is another health condition that cannabis can be used to treat. Studies have shown that a single dose of cannabis has helped reduce resting blood pressure in patients who have never smoked by 6 mmHg. With this, it is also suggested that cannabis can reduce the risk of stroke due to its anxiolytic and analgesic effects.

Diabetes

Several published research work including studies from the American Journal of Pathology in 2012, suggests that cannabis is a good diabetes treatment. This is because studies on cannabis lovers have shown that they have lower fasting insulin levels.

Related Articles

Back to top button