Cannabis & Chemotherapy: What Properties?

Chemotherapy is an uncomfortable course of treatment that can leave patients physically and mentally drained. Might cannabis or its derivatives be of some help in this area?

What Is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a very uncomfortable and painful treatment that tends to leave patients physically and mentally exhausted. Commonly used to treat cancer, marrow diseases, and immune disorders, chemotherapy uses powerful chemicals that help to slow the growth of tumors and inhibit their metastasis (or spread).

What Are The Side Effects Of Chemotherapy?

The chemicals present in chemotherapy are extremely potent. While they interfere with the growth and spread of cancer cells, they also interfere with the healthy ones.

Chemotherapy can cause a variety of short-term side effects, including:

  • Fatigue
  • Fever and mouth sores
  • Pain, bleeding, and easy bruising
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite

Some of the long-term side effects of chemotherapy can include:

  • Infertility
  • Tissue damage
  • An increased risk of developing cancer in the future
  • Heart and kidney issues

How Can Cannabis Help With Chemotherapy?

Cannabis has been used as a treatment for many illnesses for thousands of years by our ancestors. Currently under study, for its therapeutic potential, cannabis and its derivatives are being used to reduce the impact of various conditions including sclerosis, autism, anxiety, depression, glaucoma, etc.

While science is determining if cannabis has more potential as a treatment of cancer or as a complement to traditional chemotherapy, evidence shows that many cancer patients find some peace with using cannabis during their difficult healing journey.

  • Nausea and Vomiting

Cannabis is a natural antiemetic. Many chemotherapy patients report using cannabis and its derivatives to alleviate nausea and vomiting.

  • Appetite

Associated with nausea and vomiting, a lot of patients experience a lack of appetite. Cannabis is known to stimulate the appetite! We all experienced the need to eat munchies right after smoking a doobie!

  • Pain

Whether the pain comes from cancer itself or chemotherapy, cannabinoids are an efficient tool to alleviate physical pain and tensions.

Are There Any Side Effects in Using Cannabis?

Any drug, including the ones you can buy at your local pharmacy can cause side effects. Cannabis can therefore cause some side effects, though much less than chemotherapy. Some of those symptoms can be : low blood pressure, tachycardia, bloodshot eyes, slowed digestion, lightheadedness, sleepiness.

In regards to cannabis addiction, users may develop a dependence on THC however it’s pretty rare. Cannabis is in fact much less addictive than opioids or other drugs prescribed to patients to alleviate pain.

What about CBD?

CBD isn’t intoxicating, is easier to access, and is legal in more and more countries. Even though more research is necessary to reach a proper conclusion on the matter, studies show that CBD seems to deliver some of the same benefits as THC, without the high.

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