Medical Marijuana: Can It Really Cure Cancer?

Cancer remains a leading cause of death. While finding a cure for the deadly disease remains elusive, cancer treatment has greatly improved, allowing many people to live longer. Dealing with the side effects of treatment, however, can be debilitating. Since the legalization of medical marijuana in many states, cancer patients have used cannabis to lessen the severity of their symptoms. Now, however, some patients are coming forward to say that medical marijuana has actually helped them to become cancer free.

• • Dennis Hill, a prostate cancer patient, claims he successfully recovered from the condition within six months of cannabis usage.
  • Kelly Hauf claimed the elimination of a cancerous brain tumor with the help of CBD or Cannabidiol Oil.

While most of these accounts cannot be medically proven, they have given many cancer sufferers hope.

In the U.S., 29 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws legalizing medical marijuana. People with conditions listed in the state laws can seek a doctor’s recommendation, along with a medical marijuana card, for obtaining weed legally.

Use of Medical Marijuana in Cancer & HIV

According to different types of research, medical marijuana can help combat nausea and vomiting, which are direct side effects of cancer-related chemotherapy.

Also, anxiety and insomnia, which manifest themselves in the patient due to his/her condition, can be successfully treated using cannabis.

Moreover, the associated nerve pain or neuropathic pain caused by damaged nerves, can also be successfully limited using medical marijuana. According to studies, medical marijuana has painkiller like properties with no side effects whatsoever.

Medical marijuana, according to different types of research, can also helps a patient with HIV overcome the loss of appetite which can lead to dangerous weight loss.

What Physicians Say

According to physicians, cannabis definitely helps to lessen certain side effects resulting from cancer treatment. However, without more research, medical marijuana cannot be considered a cancer cure.

Large scale trials haven’t been conducted so far, so the research lacks solid evidence as of now. Hence many physicians, due to lack of results, are hesitant to recommend cannabis to their cancer patients.

What the Future Holds

Research is ongoing and according to various laboratory studies, cannabis is able to successfully inhibit growth in certain types of cancer cells grown in lab dishes. This has happened without any harm to nearby healthy cells.

As of now, doctors recommend that cancer patients follow the current treatment options instead of relying completely on cannabis. With more research, the medical community may find ways to use medical marijuana to help cancer patients live longer or even to become cancer free. However, as of now, all we can do is wait and watch.

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