A new scientific review on cannabis and cancer concludes 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.
But authors acknowledged that obstacles to incorporating cannabis into cancer treatment remain, such as regulatory barriers and the need to determine optimal dosing. “Cannabinoids, including 9-THC, CBD, and CBG, exhibit significant anticancer activities such as apoptosis induction, autophagy stimulation, cell cycle arrest, anti-proliferation, anti-angiogenesis, and metastasis inhibition,” says the report, published late last month in the journal Discover Oncology. “Clinical trials have demonstrated cannabinoids’ efficacy in tumor regression and health improvement in palliative care.”
Among the varieties of cancers covered in the research were breast cancer, glioma, leukemia, lung cancer, melanoma. The analysis also looked at the use of marijuana in palliative care and people undergoing chemotherapy, noting that cannabinoids are “significant in the palliative care as it helps in appetite regulation, regulation of pain along with antiemetic [anti-nausea] role.”
