Medical cannabis shows promise in treating cancer-related symptoms, largest-ever study reveals

A study published on April 15 in the journal Frontiers revealed a noteworthy finding in cancer research and treatment. The study examined medical cannabis and its important role in cancer treatment. It is the largest-ever analysis of medical cannabis, making this study incredibly significant. Most notably, it is groundbreaking in how cannabis tackles both fronts, not only managing pain, nausea, and appetite loss, but also playing a major role in slowing the disease itself.

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What the study found

Ryan Castle, lead author of the study, said to The Guardian, “Our goal was to determine the scientific consensus on the topic of medical cannabis, a field that has long been dominated by a war between cherrypicked studies.”

The researchers went through over 10,000 studies and, with the help of AI tools, grouped the studies into positive, neutral or negative views, based on the efficiency of cannabis in treating cancer.

The results revealed that over 75% of these studies showcased positive outcomes. Not only did it relieve the symptoms, but it also showed potential for stopping the disease from spreading. This is very important, as cannabis could be more than just symptom relief and may help in fighting the disease itself.

Implications

However, initially, the medical community was unsure and sceptical about cannabis. Many are still not completely convinced that it directly treats cancer. Oncologist Dr. Donald Abrams said, “If cannabis cures cancer, I haven’t seen it happen in real life.” Even if medical cannabis has been effective, it has not been fully proven in clinical trials. This is particularly because cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it is illegal, has a high risk of abuse, and is regulated as ‘no medical use’. This makes it challenging to conduct large-scale human studies.

But the research team tried to work around this by analysing over 10,000 studies to identify any patterns. Even Castle and his team expected only around 55% of studies to support cannabis positively, but they were surprised when they found a lot more, around 75%, revealing that cannabis is more efficient than previously thought.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.