New Cancer Study Reveals What We’ve Known All Along About Cannabis

It’s always fun to hear newly discovered official data about cannabis. But even more so when it’s something we’ve all known for years - cannabis helps with the symptoms associated with cancer and cancer treatment, this has been known in the cannabis world for many years.

Remember, doctors and scientists rely on officially conducted studies, so our anecdotal evidence means little to them. Though we’ve known this information for years, until the ‘studies’ are done, it simply doesn’t apply. Read on for our parody of a common mainstream media reaction to these cannabis studies.

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New data on cannabis and cancer provides encouraging insights, though more research is still necessary. Leading organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and federal agencies like Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have all called for further research to fully understand cannabis’s medical benefits, especially around dosage and effectiveness.

While cannabis isn’t a treatment for cancer itself, studies suggest that marijuana-derived cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, can alleviate symptoms and ease side effects related to cancer treatments like chemotherapy. A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego and VA Health Care surveyed nearly 1,000 cancer patients to assess their perspectives on cannabis use during treatment. The results revealed that about one-third of the patients used cannabis after diagnosis, but many did not inform their oncologists.

Lead researcher Corinne McDaniels-Davidson, from the SDSU School of Public Health, highlighted a gap in cancer care where oncologists seldom discuss cannabis use with their patients. The study found that survivors who believed in cannabis’s benefits were five times more likely to use it, while those who perceived risks were 60% less likely to try it. Moreover, cancer patients in more advanced stages (stages 3 or 4) were more likely to use cannabis, although 19% mistakenly believed it could cure cancer.

This study offers medical professionals valuable data to better guide conversations with patients about cannabis’s role in alleviating cancer-related symptoms, while also making it clear that cannabis cannot cure cancer but can help manage its effects.

----Funny, right?