By Ruth Hill R.N.
A cancer diagnosis is one of the most challenging experiences anyone can face, and the path through treatment is often just as grueling as the disease itself. While chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and targeted therapies can extend or even save lives, they frequently come with significant physical and emotional tolls. Amid these challenges, an ancient natural plant remedy is finding its place once again in integrative oncology cannabis. From providing palliative relief to offering potential anti-cancer properties, cannabis, and hemp-derived CBD emerge as powerful allies for those navigating the complexities of cancer care.
Holistic Caring & The Green Nurse guides and supports patients through the lasting effects of conventional treatments, providing support every step of their journey. This article explores the science behind cannabis in oncology, including its mechanisms of action, optimal dosing strategies, and the most comprehensive and groundbreaking research from CannaKeys.
How it Works
Cannabis is not a universal cure-all. Instead, it interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a crucial regulatory network within the body. The ECS instructs the body to take action or refrain, with the goal of maintaining balance across all bodily systems. It helps maintain balance across various functions, including mood, pain management, immunity, inflammation, sleep, appetite, memory, and cell repair.
When stress, illness, or aging disrupt the ECS, cannabis-derived cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and Delta9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) step in to restore balance by mimicking our body’s natural endocannabinoids.
Cannabinoids and Cancer
Research continues to uncover how cannabinoids impact cancer treatment. Studies highlight several key mechanisms through which cannabinoids may fight cancer:
- Induces cancer cell death (apoptosis)
- It prevents abnormal cell growth, stopping the spread.
- Blocks tumor blood supply, inhibiting blood flow to tumors.
- Reduces the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.
Cannabinoids offer multiple benefits beyond targeting tumors. They alleviate the side effects of cancer treatment, enhance mood and cognitive function, promote better sleep and appetite, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and make chemotherapy and radiation more tolerable for patients. These natural compounds are becoming a popular option for managing cancer symptoms and enhancing overall quality of life.
Cannabis has been used for millennia as palliative medicine to alleviate cancer symptoms, with its application in Western Medicine spanning decades. In 1974, scientific research first suggested that cannabis-based therapies could have anti-cancer properties, showing a therapeutic potential to modulate the cancer disease process. Since then, the body of evidence supporting the anti-cancer effects of cannabinoids and terpenes has grown in both depth and detail. Cannabinoids have demonstrated potential in relieving cancer symptoms and managing treatment-related side effects, including:
- Chronic neuropathic and cancer-related pain
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting, especially when resistant to traditional antiemetics during chemotherapy
- Sleep disturbances
- Anxiety
- Mood elevation and improved quality of life
Additionally, cannabinoids and terpenes exhibit well-documented properties, including anti-inflammatory, chemo-synergistic, chemoprotective, neuroprotective, and organ-protective effects.
Anecdotal reports—such as those involving Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), a high-THC cannabis extract—have circulated widely and suggest possible remission in certain cancers, including glioblastoma and leukemia.
Many patients have reached NED (No Evidence of Disease), while others continue living with cancer as a manageable chronic condition. Using cannabinoids and lifestyle-based medicine, patients lead fulfilling and meaningful lives
Dosing & Delivery
Cannabis is far from a one-size-fits-all remedy. Adopting the “start low and go slow” approach is crucial, especially with THC, to prioritize safety and minimize risks. Whether the goal is treatment or symptom management, it’s best to start with Full Spectrum CBD products, as they provide a wide range of beneficial compounds found in the plant. CBD is a multi-target molecule that binds with over 70+ receptors throughout the body, buffering complex biological changes in the body, mind, and emotions.
Methods of Consumption
From smoking and vaping to edibles, tinctures, topicals, and transdermal patches, there’s an option for every lifestyle and need. Choosing the best way to use cannabis depends on your personal preferences and how you want to incorporate it into your daily routine. With so many options available, finding a cannabis or hemp-derived CBD product that fits seamlessly into your life has never been easier.
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