Having to endure the pain and trauma of cancer can never be easy. Western medicine has come a long way in treating cancer, but many patients continue to suffer. I keep receiving questions asking “does medical marijuana really help with cancer?” It’s understandable that people look to medical marijuana elevate the pain and trauma of having cancer.
Marijuana has very few side effects and may be valuable in treating some of the symptoms of cancer. Now that marijuana is legal in many states, there are almost no obstacles to exploring the benefits of medical marijuana.
Studies have already proven there are links between the use of marijuana and the alleviation of some of the symptoms of cancer.
Therefore, shouldn’t cancer be added to the list of medical conditions qualifying for the legal use of marijuana?
What Is Cancer?
Cancer occurs when cells begin to grow and divide uncontrollably. The cells in our body are constantly growing and dividing. This is important for our growth and livelihood. However, when the body’s cells grow without regulation or control, they lose the features that make them unique to a particular organ or tissue.
Unfortunately, cancer can arise in any organ in the body. There’s lung, colon, breast, skin, brain, and bone cancer – just to name a few.
The symptoms of a particular cancer depend on the organ affected. Lung cancer produces a persistent cough, usually with bloody sputum, and chest pains. Colon cancer produces anemia and/or constipation. Skin cancer produces an unusual unsightly ulcer or mass on the surface of the skin.
Cancer has systemic effects on the body. It can lead to weight loss and fatigue. If cancer spreads, its adverse effects are even greater. The sooner cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis for recovery.
Current Western Medicine Approaches
Western medicine treats cancer in different ways. Surgery and radiation are currently the two primary ways of dealing with cancer.
1.If cancer is resectable (i.e. able to be safely removed by surgery), then removing it by surgery is the best option. Sometimes it is necessary to remove parts of the affected organ along with the cancerous cells. For example, if cancer is growing in part of the colon, that part might have to be removed along with the cancer. The remaining ends of the colon are then connected together.
2.Radiation therapy is another valuable tool in the treatment of cancer. It can be used in combination with surgery, or used separately, when surgery is not an option.
3.Chemotherapy, using various drugs and chemicals, has also come a long way. Unfortunately, chemotherapy has unfavorable side effects as it affects the entire body, not just the tumor. It can lead to hair loss, bone marrow failure, nausea and diarrhea.
The treatment of cancer isn’t easy. Several protocols are in place to determine how each type of cancer should be dealt with.
Not all patients with the same type of cancer receive the same type treatment. This is because the treatment of each cancer type varies from individual to individual, dependent on stage, grade, and numerous other factors such as age of the patient, etc.
Natural Holistic Treatments for Cancer Treatment
There are few effective holistic treatments for cancer. People have claimed that some oils and nutrients help combat cancer, but these haven’t been clinically proven to be effective. There are some holistic treatments that alleviate the pain of cancer; but, they don’t affect the overall prognosis for recovery.
Medical Marijuana in Cancer Treatment:
How to Take it, and Side Effects
The effects of medical marijuana in the treatment of cancer have been studied in the laboratory and on patients over the past decade. One recent study, carried out on petri dishes in the laboratory, not on human patients, has indicated that medical marijuana may slow down the growth of cancer cells.
So far, however, there has been no clinical prof that medical marijuana can cure cancer. That doesn’t mean however that medical marijuana is not beneficial in treating the symptoms of cancer.
On the contrary, marijuana has proven benefits in helping cancer patients fight nausea and pain, while at the same time increasing their appetites.
Pain is one of the worst side effects of cancer. Many patients have ended up being addicted to opioids being used to help control such pain. Studies have shown that medical marijuana can lower the required dosage of opioids required to mitigate the more severe pains resultant from cancer. The use of marijuana alone even has been shown to be effective in alleviating pain and nausea of those with only mild to moderate pain.
The cancer and chemotherapy treatment can both cause nausea and anorexia. This can lead to malnutrition, which makes recovery all the more difficult. Medical marijuana fights nausea and stimulates the appetites of patients. This might be seen as a useful way of fighting malnutrition in cancer patients.
The best way to ingest marijuana in order to maximize its benefits in the treatment of cancer is through inhalation. In short, smoking or vaporizing marijuana is the best way to get rid of the nausea and pain that come with cancer and chemo treatment.
The ingestion of marijuana isn’t without side effects however. Those who haven’t tried marijuana before might find its psychological effect bothersome. Marijuana can also cause slowed down reactions and lower blood pressure. Therefore, it’s not advised to take medical marijuana before driving or performing any activities that carry a risk of injury.
CBD Oil as an Alternative
The same that applies for marijuana also applies for the use of CBD oil. In states or areas where marijuana isn’t available, CBD oil can be purchased and vaporized to achieve the same benefits as marijuana.
Where to Buy Medical Marijuana and CBD Oil?
People living in states where medical marijuana is legal can purchase it from official dispensaries. If you’re living in a state where the product is not yet legalized, you can buy CBD oil online. Just make sure that you buy CBD oil from a trusted online source that sells authentic CBD oil and not something that’s watered down or tampered with.
Those interested in using medical marijuana in treating the pain, nausea, and anorexia that come with cancer should talk to their doctor about it first. Your doctor should be able to determine and recommend the right dose for your condition.
Western medicine has made a lot of progress in treating cancer in recent years. Unfortunately, there are still people who don’t survive the disease and more efforts are need in its diagnosis and treatment.
Medical marijuana is being studied in an effort to assess its value in curing cancer. Until we have definitive results of these studies, we can use it for other reasons. Using marijuana to alleviate including pain and nausea, which can make cancer even tougher to deal with, can make a big difference in a patient’s quality of life.
Thank you for reading our “Does Medical Marijuana Really Help with Cancer Treatment?”
We would love to hear about your experiences using medical marijuana or CBD oils for cancer treatment – please give your comment below.
We believe others who are trying to find a natural treatment for their cancer treatment will definitely appreciate and benefit from your thoughts.
Learn more here:
https://www.lungcancer.org/find_information/publications/328-medical_marijuana_and_cancer
