According to a recent study in Minnesota, cancer patients who have used medical marijuana “report significant improvement in cancer symptoms.” It does note that marijuana’s high price can make it prohibitive for patients who are less well-off and may raise questions about the affordability and availability of cannabis therapy.
A report published last month by the journal Cannabis examined the responses of 220 cancer patients who were enrolled into the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program.
The survey asked questions on the cancer history of patients, their cannabis usage and any changes in symptoms. It also had sociodemographic questions.
While “the overwhelming” majority of patients experienced symptom relief from medical marijuana, the results also showed “individuals who are not comfortable with their current income have higher monthly costs for cannabis. They were more inclined to discontinue cannabis use or reduce it than they wanted. This group cited more frequently cost disruptions as an explanation for cannabis usage interruptions.
Patients with cancer who use cannabis have reported significant improvement in their cancer symptoms.
Although both the Living comfortably (LC), and Not living comfortably groups reported high levels of improvement in symptoms, the study states that patients from the NLC group were more likely to stop or use cannabis less than they desired (54% against 32%). They often cited cost as the reason for this (85% vs.
Patients with lower incomes were more likely to enroll in the state’s medical marijuana program, buy more cannabis and purchase more THC-rich products than those who had higher incomes.
However, the researchers noted “no evidence” for any significant difference in the effects of symptoms reported by the LC or NLC groups.
Cannabis use was most beneficial to patients with anxiety, depression, pain and insomnia. The percentage of patients who reported improvements for these symptoms ranged between 83-91%. Patients reported improvement in digestive and anorexia symptoms in a proportion between 69 and 80%. About half of the respondents also noted improvements in fatigue or neuropathy. “Almost none of the respondents said that these symptoms worsened after cannabis consumption.”
In a report, authors from HealthPartners Institute (formerly HealthPartners Institute), the University of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Department of Health note that, while medical marijuana is used more and more to treat cancer symptoms, healthcare insurance and plans do not “reimburse medical cannabis costs, which leaves patients responsible for the associated costs”.
Our findings “raise questions regarding health equity and access to cannabis for cancer patients,” wrote the team. If cannabis can reduce the symptoms of cancer, then all patients, especially those who are most vulnerable should be able to access cannabis. This would include making medical cannabis more accessible to them.
“If cannabis is to be a broadly available way to alleviate symptom burden in patients with cancer,” authors of the new research added, “insurance coverage will ultimately be needed to ensure all patients can access it equally.”
Minnesota’s separate government report on chronic pain sufferers enrolled in its medical marijuana program revealed that patients “see a significant change in their pain levels” after a few weeks of treatment.
In a large-scale, nearly 10,000 patient study, it was also found that almost a quarter of patients who used other painkillers reduced their usage after trying medical marijuana.
This report revealed that, among the health professionals who stated their patients took other pain-management medications, almost a quarter (24.6%) “reported an increase in pain medications within six months of starting medical cannabis”.
According to the National Cancer Institute, late last year it was estimated that anywhere between 20 and 40% of patients being treated with cancer use cannabis-based products in order to cope with side effects.
According to the agency, “the growing popularity of marijuana products among cancer patients has been correlated with the number of states who have legalized medical cannabis use.” But research is still lagging on which cannabis products will be effective in treating cancer-related side-effects and symptoms.
The research that was referenced by the NCI included a number of reports from the JNCI Monographs journal. That 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.
A total of just over a third (32.9%) of patients used cannabis. The respondents reported that marijuana was primarily used to treat symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment, including difficulty sleeping, chronic pain and mood fluctuations. According to the report, “the most commonly perceived benefits were for pain, anxiety and stress, as well as treatment-related side effects.”
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 there remain obstacles for incorporating marijuana into cancer treatments, like regulatory barriers, and the need to establish optimal dosage.
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, which meant 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.
Last October, the National Institutes of Health awarded researchers $3.25 million for research on cannabis use while receiving cancer immunotherapy. They also wanted to know if access to marijuana could help reduce health disparities.
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Mike Latimer is the photographer.