Cannabinoids (Cannabis) for cancer

Cannabis for Pain

According to the National Cancer Institute, when cancer pain is severe and persistent, it is often resistant to treatment with opioids.Two studies examined the effects of oral delta-9-THC on cancer pain. The first, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving ten patients, measured both pain intensity and pain relief. It was reported that 15 mg and 20 mg doses of the cannabinoid delta-9-THC were associated with substantial analgesic effects, with antiemetic effects and appetite stimulation.

In a follow-up, single-dose study involving 36 patients, it was reported that 10 mg doses of delta-9-THC produced analgesic effects during a 7-hour observation period that were comparable to 60 mg doses of codeine, and 20 mg doses of delta-9-THC induced effects equivalent to 120 mg doses of codeine. Higher doses of THC were found to be more sedating than codeine.

This study says: In conclusion, THC:CBD extract, a nonopioid analgesic, endocannabinoid system modulator, has been shown to be a useful adjunctive treatment for relief of pain in patients with advanced cancer who experience inadequate analgesia despite chronic opioid therapy. The reductions in pain scores were neither because of a change in opioid background medications nor because of an increase in use of breakthrough medication. Therefore, we can conclude that the observed reduction in pain scores is attributable to the positive analgesic effects of THC:CBD extract.

This study says:  In total, 177 patients with cancer pain, who experienced inadequate analgesia despite chronic opioid dosing, entered a two-week, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.

In conclusion, our data indicate that cannabidiol, and possibly Cannabis extracts enriched in this natural cannabinoid, represent a promising non-psychoactive antineoplastic strategy. In particular, for a highly malignant human breast carcinoma cell line, we have shown here that cannabidiol and a cannabidiol-rich extract counteract cell growth both in vivo and in vitro as well as tumor metastasis in vivo.

This study says: In conclusion, THC:CBD extract, a nonopioid analgesic, endocannabinoid system modulator, has been shown to be a useful adjunctive treatment for relief of pain in patients with advanced cancer who experience inadequate analgesia despite chronic opioid therapy. The reductions in pain scores were neither because of a change in opioid background medications nor because of an increase in use of breakthrough medication. Therefore, we can conclude that the observed reduction in pain scores is attributable to the positive analgesic effects of THC:CBD extract.

This Review Article A selective review of medical cannabis in cancer pain management says: Overall, four out of the five studies found that cannabis was significantly associated with a decrease in cancer-associated pain.

Caution: Before having surgery, all cannabis use, including CBD and medical cannabis, should be disclosed to the surgeon or anaesthesiologist.

Rick Simpson Oil for cancer

Rick Simpson Oil and Cancer

RSO is a concentrated form of cannabis oil known to have medical benefits, particularly for cancer. RSO differs from a lot of other cannabis oils because it contains higher levels of THC.

A complete course of RSO to treat cancer is 60 grams and then 1-2 grams/month maintenance dose.

The supplement piperine has been shown to increase the bioavailability of cannabinoids over 200%. 

Other therapeutic cannabis oils tend to contain a cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD) and little or no THC.
You can find full information about RSO on Rick Simpson’s website.

Treatment side effects
With medicinal cannabis oil, you may experience drowsiness, unsteadiness, paranoia, anxiety, depression, hallucinations and poor concentration, in addition to getting high. Some of these effects only last for hours and all of them tend to go away in less than a month as you develop tolerance to the oil.

Cannabis should not be taken alongside Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. 

Anecdotal evidence – patient testimonials

Rick Simpson

In 2003, he discovered three suspicious spots on his face and neck and was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma skin cancer. He says the doctors had given up on him because he had more than one unsuccessful operation on the three pigmented lesions on the skin of his face. As soon as these were removed, they would reappear even more infected! Rick’s decision was to apply cannabis oil to his skin cancer. He applied his cannabis oil to some bandages and put them on the skin cancer. After 4 days of waiting he decided it was time to see if anything had happened under the bandages. To Ricks surprise the cancer was gone. His cannabis oil had cured his cancer. He went on to educate the world about the benefits of cannabis oil and actually gave away oil to those who were ill – until the Canadian authorities stopped him doing so.

In 2008, filmmaker Christian Laurette released the first free documentary on YouTube sharing Rick’s story titled “Run From the Cure”.

How Cannabis Oil Helped Cure This Young Girl’s Leukemia

Source: Spiritscience
7-year-old Mykayla Comstock was diagnosed with intermediate risk T-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the summer of 2012. Her mother, Erin Purchase, wasted no time and enrolled her daughter in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program.

Much to everyone’s surprise, just one week after beginning the cannabis oil therapy, scans of Mykayla’s bone marrow and blood showed no signs of leukemia. She was in remission!

Mykayla’s mother Erin posted the following on Mykayla’s Facebook page:

September is childhood cancer awareness month. I definitely agree that these children need a cure, but I don’t believe the researchers are looking at all the options that are out there.

Cannabis provided my daughter a quality of life that other children fighting leukemia without cannabis do not get. She never took a pain killer, she never lost a single pound, and she only used a handful of anti-nausea meds. She wasn’t anxiety ridden, she had a smile on her face, and she wasn’t in a wheelchair like so many of the kids that take chemotherapy.

Mykayla was ordered to have brain radiation, as her leukemia had spread into her brain. We said no, replacing it with cannabis oil in combination with other holistic herbs, vitamins, and a plant based diet.

Mykayla’s Facebook page

David Triplett

David Triplett had skin cancer on his nose that was treated and then came back. His doctor recommended chemotherapy cream, but he decided to give cannabis oil a try and record what happened. The pictures he took over the course of his treatment show small dark spots on his nose growing and then disappearing.

He recorded his journey in a short documentary called Cured: A Cancer Story.

Incurable brain tumour claims cannabis oil ‘saved her life’

A cancer patient who was given just months to live made an incredible recovery, which she credits to using cannabis oil, according to independent.co.uk

Lynn Cameron was given 6 to 18 months to live after being diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour in December 2013.

But, despite several sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, scans were showing no change to the mass so she opted to try cannabis oil in a desperate bid to save her life.

“Each scan I received after that was showing an improvement. I had been told that chemotherapy and radiotherapy doesn’t make much difference, so I knew it must be the cannabis doing it.

“By the sixth MRI, the cancer had gone.”

Lynn’s Facebook page

A doctor’s view

The following excerpts are from an article published in US News

Medical Marijuana Is Safe for Children
Numerous cases show clinical cannabis is an effective treatment for illnesses in children.

By William Courtney, M.D., Contributor 

Medical Marijuana Is Safe for Children
The courage and fortitude of parents who have chosen cannabis compounds to treat their children facing life-threatening illness have raised eyebrows. Some live in terror that their government will take their child away, since medical marijuana is only legal in some states. However, there are numerous cases demonstrating the benefits of clinical cannabis, which happen to threaten a very profitable healthcare industry that relies on conventional drugs, as well as political agendas.

The cannabinoid acids in cannabis have been found to have anti-proliferative, anti-neoplastic, anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic, anti-ischemic, anti-diabetic, anti-psychotic, anti-nausea, anti-spasmodic, antibiotic, anti-anxiety, and anti-depressant functions. The anti-neoplastic action of cannabis—inhibiting development of malignant cells—was recognized in the 1970s and patented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2003.

Out of 7,000 patients, my youngest, an 8-month-old, was diagnosed with a massive midbrain tumor. Pediatric oncologists recommended chemotherapy and radiation. Instead, the parents applied a cannabinoid concentrate to their son’s pacifier twice a day, which resulted in a significant reduction in the size of the tumor in 30 days. The response prevented a million-dollar chemo-radiation hospitalization. The child’s oncologist calls the infant a ‘miracle baby,’ but most medical experts would discount the case as anecdotal, unacceptable in a peer-reviewed journal. But the real peers are other parents reluctant to consent to the devastation of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation—not those benefiting from the $2.6 trillion healthcare industry.

A 2-year-old spent a year in a pediatric oncology ward, endured 39 hours of brain surgery, received chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and radiation under general anesthesia for 42 days, only to be discharged home on hospice and morphine. The child’s local pediatrician started to treat her with juiced raw cannabis leaf. Two years later, she is still alive, now free of cancer and scar tissue.

Several years ago, I proposed that cannabis be recognized as an essential nutrient in the diet of individuals in their 30s and older. Children were excluded out of fear of backlash but it is now my incontrovertible opinion that the immune system of the 8-month-old would never have allowed the tumor to gain a foothold if supported with dietary cannabis, or Vitamin F.

Read the full story

See Dr Courtney’s website cannabisinternational.org

See the latest studies and news at Granny Storm Crows List

You can find more studies on PubMed

Cannabis in Ireland

Medical Cannabis is legally available through physicians in a number of countries around the world, including Croatia, the US and Canada.

Treatment in Ireland

Products containing more than 0.03% THC remain illegal in Ireland due to ignorance and the power of vested interests.

While the use of natural cannabis is illegal in Ireland, Irish-based medical practitioners who wish to prescribe synthetic (ie pharmaceutical) cannabis products containing THC may apply to the Minister for Health for a licence under the Misuse of Drugs Acts. See Cannabis for Medical Use. Information for Patients and healthcare professionals.

Note: No recorded cases of death from cannabis overdose have ever been found, even after extensive literature review.

Constance Finlay – the woman who oncologists turn to!

After nearly dying from the pharmaceuticals prescribed to help alleviate pain and inflammation caused by a rare autoimmune disease, Constance Finlay found relief in the form of medicinal cannabis.

Based on her research, Finley became determined to make standardized, whole plant cannabis extracts that incorporate all the naturally occurring cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids in cannabis, and are safe for those with compromised immune systems. She is doing that through the company she formed – Constance Therapeutics.
“The first oncologist that referred people to me referred 28 stage-4, second-occurrence patients back in 2012,” Constance Finley says.

“He only sent me the people that were really hopeless and that he didn’t think he had any way to help. And 26 of those people, he says, went into remission. So that’s a 96 percent rate.”

“Generally, we see about 70-80 percent positive results from the people that report back,” she continues. “Now, that isn’t everyone, so we can’t make very definitive statements, but what it leads us to be is very, very hopeful for serious applications being developed.”

Tips for a Positive Experience With Cannabis Oil

Source: Constance Therapeutics

1. When it Comes to Using Cannabis Oil, Start Slow and Small

If you’ve never used cannabis oil before, I recommend starting with a small dose. Everyone experiences it differently, and different strains of cannabis and cannabinoid ratios in oil elicit different effects. So it’s best to learn how your body reacts and consume accordingly.

First-time cannabis oil users should start with a rice grain-size drop at first. It’s entirely possible to build your tolerance, but it takes time, so start small and increase your cannabis oil intake slowly.

2. Select Your Environment Carefully When Consuming Cannabis Oil

Take cannabis oil in a comfortable, familiar environment around someone you know and trust. I recommend that anyone who’s trying cannabis oil for the first time do so in an environment that’s safe to them. I find that home is always best. Also, it can be good to have someone nearby that you’re comfortable with just in case you begin to feel anxious. That can really make the difference in your experience.

3. Take the Cannabis Oil With Some Food in Your Stomach

Few things are best done on an empty stomach, and cannabis oil is no exception. It helps to avoid any potential nausea that can result.

4. Don’t Take Cannabis Oil With Other Intoxicating Substances

You should have something in your stomach when you’re ingesting cannabis oil, but that something shouldn’t be alcohol. This is because alcohol can increase levels of THC in the blood, thereby intensifying marijuana’s effects.

5. Drink Ginger Tea If You’re Feeling Unsettled From the Cannabis Oil

If you feel nauseated at all from consuming cannabis oil (or any time, really), try drinking some ginger tea. Ginger is a natural nausea suppressor, and it works wonders for settling an upset stomach. The process of making and drinking tea can also be quite soothing and grounding on its own, should you experience any anxiety when having cannabis oil.

6. Remain Calm If You’ve Had too Much Cannabis Oil

If you feel as though you’ve taken too much cannabis oil, always do your best to remain calm. Lie down in a comfortable area, dim the lights, and remember that the uncomfortable feeling will eventually subside.

7. Remember Your Goal for Using Cannabis Oil

Every treatment has its side effects, but it’s important to keep the goal of your treatment in mind. If you’re taking medicinal cannabis oil and find that you’re having a hard time adjusting to some of THC’s side effects—dry mouth, fatigue, paranoia, anxiety, know that these aren’t permanent. Think about the potential benefits from the treatment, how it will help your overall health, and why you’re using cannabis oil in the first place. Reminding yourself of potential positives can help to keep yourself focused.

Here are links to other studies (published on Higher Perspective)