Best Marijuana Strains For Cancer Treatment Side Effects
Getting a cancer diagnosis is many peoples worst nightmare. Unfortunately, the side effects of cancer treatments like chemotherapy are equally difficult to handle. So, if you find yourself in this distressing situation, you might be wondering what you can do. Luckily, over two-thirds of American states now have medical marijuana programs, with cancer frequently listed as a qualifying condition. While cannabis cant cure cancer, it can potentially make coping with this diagnosis much easier.
In this article, we focus on some of the best marijuana strains for cancer treatment side effects. Read on to find out more about how they could help.
Medical Marijuana And Cancer
Medical marijuana has proven beneficial for many cancer patients in terms of improving their overall quality of life. Medical cannabis can be specifically beneficial for the many adverse side effects that stem from radiation and chemotherapy. These side effects include lack of appetite, nausea, fatigue, and pain throughout the body
Lets examine the research and studies to understand more about the evidence and effects of cannabis on cancer and cancer treatments.
Side Effects Of Cannabinoid Drugs
Like many other drugs, the prescription cannabinoids, dronabinol and nabilone, can cause side effects and complications.
Some people have trouble with increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure , dizziness or lightheadedness, and fainting. These drugs can cause drowsiness as well as mood changes or a feeling of being high that some people find uncomfortable. They can also worsen depression, mania, or other mental illness. Some patients taking nabilone in studies reported hallucinations. The drugs may increase some effects of sedatives, sleeping pills, or alcohol, such as sleepiness and poor coordination. Patients have also reported problems with dry mouth and trouble with recent memory.
Older patients may have more problems with side effects and are usually started on lower doses.
People who have had emotional illnesses, paranoia, or hallucinations may find their symptoms are worse when taking cannabinoid drugs.
Talk to your doctor about what you should expect when taking one of these drugs. Its a good idea to have someone with you when you first start taking one of these drugs and after any dose changes.
Also Check: Is Stage 0 Breast Cancer Curable
Best Strains For Cancer Patients
Once again, wed like to point out that this article is not about using marijuana to treat cancer itself. Instead, we want to look into how it could help with the litany of adverse side effects that stem from various cancer treatments and medications.
We have highlighted several strains that traditionally help with nausea, pain, fatigue, and low appetite. All of these issues are common symptoms of cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. Now, lets look at five such cannabis strains.
Breast Cancer & Medical Marijuana Research
Cannabinoids, or cannabis compounds, have shown great potential as an antitumor agent. Antitumor agents kill off cancer cells and prevent them from multiplying. Researchers examined the effects of various cannabinoids on breast cancer cells, specifically focusing on cannabidiol , cannabigerol and cannabichromene . Since most research before their study looked at THCs effects, they wanted to get more data on these less-studied components.
The team discovered that CBD and CBD extract worked the best to prevent cancer cell growth. Compared to THC, CBD performed the most effectively. They noted that the CB2 receptor seemed to be involved in their antitumor properties.
Another study discovered that endocannabinoids, or the cannabinoids our bodies make, could also prevent breast cancer cell growth. They examined anandamide, an endocannabinoid that activates the CB1 receptor. When they applied it to isolated breast cancer cells, the cancer cells grew much less frequently. Similar endocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids had comparable effects.
It seemed that these cannabinoids interacted with the CB1 receptor to reduce the tumor growth. When they added a substance that blocks the CB1 receptors, the effects of the cannabinoids stopped. Antibodies related to breast milk reduction also appeared to have a relation.
Recommended Reading: What Does Estrogen Positive Breast Cancer
How To Choose The Right Cbd For Cancer
As shown in clinical trials and studies on cannabis and cannabinoids , CBD is not the only cannabinoid found in cannabis that can help treat cancer symptoms .
Hence, when choosing a CBD product , opt for one that contains the full spectrum of phytonutrients from hemp, including trace amounts of THC , terpenes , fatty acids, flavonoids, and essential oils.
Those with allergies to THC may use a broad-spectrum CBD oil , which is like full-spectrum CBD but without the THC that makes the user high.
However, regardless of the form of CBD product of choice, careful consideration must still be employed in selecting the best CBD oil to help suppress tumor growth and proliferation and relieve cancer symptoms.
Acute And Chronic Pain
Pain is a common symptom of advanced cancer cases. It is also a common side effect of cancer treatments including injections and surgery. Traditionally, opioids are prescribed to treat acute and chronic pain that often comes with breast cancer treatment. However, opioids are highly addictive and can cause severe side effects and even death. Medical marijuana on the other hand provides safe and effective relief from pain for many breast cancer patients.
Don’t Miss: Does Breast Cancer Make You Cough
What The Research Says
In recent years, many studies have looked at the effects of cannabis for chronic pain. Some studies used parts of the cannabis plant and some have used the entire plant so more research is needed. Using parts of the cannabis plant helps study specific actions of that ingredient, but when the whole plant is used there is what is called an entourage effect, where the parts work together to have more effect.
A 2015 review of research on the use of cannabis and cannabinoids for various chronic pain conditions reports that several trials had positive results. The researchers suggest that cannabis or cannabinoids may be effective for treating some types of chronic pain including neuropathy .
A research paper from 2016 found that cannabis use for cancer pain led to a 64-percent reduction in opioid use, improved quality of life, and caused fewer medication side effects. It also led to participants using fewer medications.
Smaller studies have reported benefits for other types of chronic pain. For example:
- Of about 17,000 people with cancer, 70 percent reportedly experienced an improvement in pain and general well-being after cannabis use.
- People with chronic migraines experienced a decrease in migraine episodes after using the drug.
However, there is still a need for more research into the area of cannabis use for chronic pain, especially into the use of different strains, dosages, and methods of delivery.
Medical cannabis refers to the whole, unprocessed plant or its extracts.
Best Strain For Breast Cancer Symptoms And Treatment Side Effects
Cannabis and the myriad of compounds found inside the plant have been successfully utilised for the treatment of nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy and have also potentiated the effects of opioid pain medications in treating cancer pain. Cannabinoids have been shown to help encourage sleep, stimulate appetite, reduce depression and anxiety, and lift the spirits of patients undergoing cancer treatment, all of which can contribute greatly to quality of life. Cancer treatment often attracts dubious claimants who extend hope to those desperate for it, resulting in claims of cancer cures for which there is only promising anecdotal evidence. For more information, see our article on CBD for nausea and vomiting and cannabis for cancer appetite loss and cachexia, along with CBD for depression, and CBD for anxiety.
Cannabis products rich in cannabinoids shouldnt be replaced for more conventional cancer treatments, but informed oncologists are usually in support of its use as a co-treatment with conventional regimens. Animal studies of plant cannabinoids have shown that theyre capable of decreasing tumor growth and metastasis . Alongside this, fairly limited human studies , have shown that plant cannabinoids could be safe and effective antitumor compounds, but that they arent effective for all cancer types and some cannabinoids could, in certain cancers, increase the growth of tumors.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Prognosis For Breast Cancer
The Effect Of Cannabinoids In Breast Cancer Cell Lines
4.3.1. Phytocannabinoids and Synthetic Analogues
In both ER-positive and ER-negative breast cancer cells, CBD activates the intrinsic apoptotic pathway by changing the mitochondrial membrane potential, activating the translocation of the BH3 interacting-domain death agonist to the mitochondria, and releasing cytochrome C from mitochondria .
CBD also inhibits the invasiveness of aggressive MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-436 breast cancer cell lines by downregulating inhibitor of DNA binding 1 , a transcriptional regulator, which stimulates the metastasis of breast cancer . In a mouse model of advanced breast cancer with lung metastases, CBD reduced the degree of metastasis by downregulating ID-1. However, CBD caused only a moderate increase in survival in this model. The resorcinol derivative O-1663 was proposed as a selective for CB2-R, which prolonged the survival more efficiently than the parent compound in mice with advanced breast cancer. O-1663 inhibited ID-1, stimulated ROS production, and increased autophagy and apoptosis .
An important finding was that CBD improved the response to treatment with cytarabine and vincristine in cancer cells . In vitro studies showed greater antitumor activity when combining CBs and radiotherapy. Survival of patients treated with CBs could be significantly increased by the incorporation of CBs in smart biomaterials for sustained delivery .
4.3.2. Endocannabinoids
Its Natural So It Must Be Better Right
Theres no doubt that the natural world is a treasure trove of biologically useful compounds, and there are countless examples where these have been harnessed as effective treatments.
Numerous potent cancer drugs have also been developed in this way purifying a natural compound, improving it and testing it to create a beneficial drug including taxol, vincristine, vinblastine, camptothecin, colchicine, and etoposide.
But although these purified drugs in controlled high doses can treat cancer, it doesnt mean that the original plant will have the same effect.
So, although cannabis contains certain cannabinoids, it doesnt automatically follow that cannabis itself can treat cancer.
Don’t Miss: Is American Breast Cancer Support Association Legitimate
Exercise Improves Global Longitudinal Strain In Breast Cancer Survivors
For breast cancer survivors, higher physical activity levels are associated with improved global longitudinal strain , according to a study published in the June 1 issue of JACC: CardioOncology.
Willeke R. Naaktgeboren, M.D., from The Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, and colleagues examined the association between physical activity in a typical week in the past 12 months and cardiac dysfunction in a cohort of 559 breast cancer survivors treated at age 40 to 50 years. The association between physical activity and GLS and left ventricular ejection fraction was examined. The survivors had a median age of 55.5 years and a median of 10.2 years since treatment.
The researchers found that GLS was less favorable in inactive survivors compared with moderately inactive, moderately active, and active survivors , with an adjusted significant difference seen for active versus inactive survivors. Compared with inactive survivors, moderately active and active survivors had significantly lower risks of abnormal GLS . There was no association observed for LVEF with physical activity.
“Physical activity programs may contribute to reducing cardiovascular morbidity in breast cancer survivors, particularly among those who are physically inactive,” the authors write.
Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Explore further
How To Find The Best Cannabis Strains For Breast Cancer
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are looking for some alternative treatments, its probably a good idea to learn about cannabis, a plant that is increasingly being recognized as having medical benefits. Medical cannabis is usually derived from the cannabis plant and is produced and sold as a pharmaceutical drug. It is not illegal in the United States to possess or consume cannabis for medicinal purposes. You can use cannabis as a natural remedy for several conditions including pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and nausea. There are many different strains of cannabis. Some of the more popular ones are Sativa and Indica.
The strain of cannabis known as Indica generally creates a relaxing effect on the user. It has also been said to help users sleep and combat depression. The strain of cannabis known as Sativa, on the other hand, tends to be more energizing than relaxing. However, it is not uncommon for people to use both varieties to create the desired effect. Cannabis can be consumed in various ways. One common way is to smoke it. You can also ingest it in the form of edibles or tinctures. Some people have reported that consuming cannabis in vaporized form can help them stay calm and relaxed.
More Articles
Don’t Miss: What Is The Sentinel Node In Breast Cancer
Data Synthesis And Statistical Analyses
Primary characteristics of the studies were entered as variables using MS Excel® worksheets.
Descriptive statistics from the diagnostic accuracy 2×2 tables of each individual study were computed using MedCalc® and Meta-Disc statistical software calculators. The measures were sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio , negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio .
Forest plots of sensitivity and specificity were deduced using Stata® statistical software . A summary receiver operating characteristic curve plot for sensitivity against 1-specificty was also done using the Stata® software.
Heterogeneity and threshold effect were assessed in several stages as per standard recommendations . First, visual examinations of the coupled forest plots of sensitivity and specificity as well as the SROC plot were done. Secondly, a Spearmans correlation was calculated for sensitivity vs false positive rate. Lastly, the Cochrans Q and Higgins statistics were deduced during the derivation of the forest plots.
Qualitative synthesis was done following failure to resolve heterogeneities of most of the studies through meta-regression and subgroup analysis of the studies. The subgroup variables were according to participants characteristics , index test and reference standard approach methods.
Publication bias was interrogated using Funnel plot and Eggers regression test of DORs against their standards errors with the help of Stata® software.
Elixinol Daily Balance Cbd Tincture
The founder of Elixinol has been in the hemp business since 1991, when he started selling a heart-healthy, hemp-based snack bar, 9Bar, thats still one of the worlds most popular hemp products.
Elixinol keeps the focus on whole-body, hemp-based health products, with a wide variety of hemp-derived CBD products. These include:
- Tinctures,
- Vape Liquids,
- and Balms, all researched and formulated by a team of medical professionals.
Elixinols source hemp is grown in Europe, Australia, and America, and subjected to a chemical-free, heat-free, broad-spectrum CO2 extraction process. All CBD is then put through both in-house and third-party laboratory testing for purity, potency and terpene profile, with the results made public on the companys website.
In addition, customers will appreciate that 5% of their purchase is donated to a charity of the customers choosing, with options at checkout including the research and treatment of autism, brain tumors, and cancer.
The best CBD for cancer in the Elixinol inventory is the companys oral tinctures, offered in Original and Cinnamint flavors. These are available in concentrations of 300 or 600 mg per 15 ml bottle, or 3,600 mg per 120 ml bottle, and also contain hemp oil, plus:
- Amino acids,
You May Like: Can You Survive Stage 4 Breast Cancer
A Final Word On Breast Cancer And Medical Marijuana
To recap, medical marijuana is not a singular treatment. There are different strains and delivery methods, each of which might be well suited to one patient but not every patient. Furthermore, the effects of cannabis are dosage-dependent.
Breast cancer patients are strongly advised to seek the counsel of a medical professional who is trained in the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of breast cancer.
The state-certified doctors at all of our medical offices work individually with patients to discuss the potential options for delivery methods for their condition and lifestyle.
Visit us online at to schedule a free consultation, or call to talk with one of our professional, experienced, and licensed staff members.
Best Cannabis Strains For Breast Cancer
One of the most promising new uses for cannabis is in treating women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer is no longer a death sentence, and medical cannabis is one of the best ways to fight this disease. Keep reading the article to know, the 10 best cannabis strains for breast cancer.
Cannabidiol is one of the many cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. CBD oil is extracted from hemp or cannabis and contains a wide variety of cannabinoid compounds such as THC, CBG, CBD, CBC, CBN, CBGA, and other cannabinoids. CBD has been studied extensively and shown to have positive effects on numerous ailments. Its medical properties have even been proven to be beneficial in the treatment of breast cancer. This is why we decided to write this article about the best CBD strains for breast cancer.
You May Like: What Stage Is Grade 3 Breast Cancer
Results Of Individual Studies
The detailed report of each studys diagnostic performance in terms of 2×2 table derivatives such as sensitivity, specificity and odds ratios are presented in sheet A within additional files. The sensitivity values ranged from 26.47 to 96.67% and for specificity from 37.5 to 99.96%. This information is summarily presented in coupled forest plots as shown in Fig. . For better visualization with ability to magnify the same images are within additional files as an MS Excel® sheet B.
Fig. 3
Coupled forest plot for sensitivity and specificity: studies are plotted on the y-axis. Specificity and sensitivity are on the x-axis from left to right