Medical Cannabis in Integrative Cancer Care
I am often asked about the use of medical cannabis in helping people going through cancer treatment. As a Naturopathic Doctor specializing in integrative naturopathic oncology , I see many Sonoma County patients suffering from breast cancer and other types of cancer.
Many of them are curious about medicinal cannabis and whether it can potentially help them in their cancer treatments. My answer, in many cases, is “Yes!” Medicinal cannabis can be an ally in an integrative approach to cancer and coping with and combating the side effects of conventional cancer-fighting therapies.
Although research into medicinal cannabis is still in its early stages, the early signs are promising. Most studies have taken place overseas, with only a handful of human trials in epilepsy and multiple sclerosis; there are no human trials of medicinal cannabis and breast cancer, to date. Nonetheless, the pre-clinical data we have and empirical clinical observations present compelling evidence that medicinal cannabis with CBD can have a positive effect on people undergoing conventional treatment for breast cancer.
A key ingredient in medicinal cannabis is CBD, or cannabinoids. Most medicinal cannabis research has focused on cannabinoids and the Endocannabinoid system in our bodies, which is as a series of neurolipids and receptors that communicate mood, appetite, and sensations of pain. Endocannabinoids can affect our physiology and the way we feel profoundly.
