A newly-leaked memo shows that the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) staff are asked to consult with superiors about “marijuana”, one of more than two dozen controversial or high-profile subjects.
In the government’s directive, marijuana and opioids are listed along with COVID-19 vaccines, fluoride and measles vaccinations, autism and diversity, as well as other topics that President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apparently consider to be their personal priority.
NCI belongs to the National Institutes of Health. NIH is part of Health and Human Services.
According to a new memo reported first by ProPublica, NCI employees are required to submit any materials they intend to publish about specified topics before publication to an agency clearance group.
Staff are advised that depending on the content of the material, it may require additional clearance and review by the NCI directors and deputy directors as well as the NIH or HHS. In some cases the materials will only need to be reviewed once, however the NCI Clearance Team may share them with NCI leadership and/or NIH for their knowledge.
According to ProPublica, it notes that “staff do not need to share any content about the routine conduct or science, if the topic is unlikely to get much media attention and is neither controversial nor sensitive. It also does not address an Administration priority.”
According to the investigative news source, the document was “circulated by the Institute’s Communications Team and its content wasn’t discussed at leadership level.” They also added that it is “not clear from which office exactly the directive originates.”
Experts warned that the policy may have a chilling impact, causing researchers to slow down publication of their important research and censoring it.
NCI estimated late last year that between about 20 percent and 40 percent of people being treated for cancer are using cannabis products to manage side effects from the condition and associated treatment.
The agency stated that the growing use of cannabis by cancer patients is a direct result of the increase in states which have legalized the drug for medical purposes. But research is still lagging on which cannabis products will be effective in treating cancer symptoms and side effects.
In its JNCI Monographs journal, the agency published several scientific reports. The package of 14 articles detailed the results of broad, federally funded cannabis surveys of cancer patients from a dozen agency-designated cancer centers across the country—including in areas where marijuana is legal, permitted only for medical purposes or still outlawed.
In 2023, the NIH is expected to award $3.2 million for researchers to conduct research on cannabis and immunotherapy, including whether marijuana access can reduce disparities in health.
A study conducted in Minnesota found, last month, that cancer patients who use cannabis report “significant improvements” to cancer symptoms. The study noted, however, that marijuana’s high price can make it prohibitive for patients who are less well-off and may raise questions about the affordability and accessibility of this treatment.
Separately, another recent study, in the journal Discover Oncology, concluded that a variety of cannabinoids—including delta-9 THC, CBD and cannabigerol (CBG)—”show promising potential as anticancer agents through various mechanisms,” for example by limiting the growth and spread of tumors. However, the authors acknowledge that some obstacles remain to incorporate cannabis in cancer treatments, like regulatory barriers or determining an optimal dose.
Other recent research on the possible therapeutic value of lesser-known compounds in cannabis found that a number of minor cannabinoids may have anticancer effects on blood cancer that warrant further study.
While cannabis is widely used to treat certain symptoms of cancer and some side-effects of cancer treatment, there’s long been interest in the possible effects of cannabinoids on cancer itself.
According to a review of 2019 publications, most studies used in vitro methods, meaning that they were not conducted on humans. Instead, isolated human cancer cells were tested, and some research was done using mice. Consistent with the latest findings, that study found cannabis showed potential in slowing the growth of cancer cells and even killing cancer cells in certain cases.
A separate study found that some cases, different types of cancer cells affecting the same part of the body appeared to respond differently to various cannabis extracts.
A scientific review of CBD last year also touched on “the diverse anticancer properties of cannabinoids” that the authors said present “promising opportunities for future therapeutic interventions in cancer treatment.”
Research published last year also found that marijuana use was associated with improved cognition and reduced pain among cancer patients and people receiving chemotherapy
The University of Colorado study found that while cannabis can produce intoxicating effects and the initial “high”, it may temporarily impair cognition. However, after using marijuana products purchased from licensed state dispensaries for two weeks, users began to report clearer thoughts.
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