Cannabis and Cancer

I saw an article a few days ago that caught my attention. It's from The Guardian, written by an oncologist from Australia, and it's called "Patients keep asking if they should take cannabis for their cancer. The answer is still no."

That title -- with it's "No" at the end -- reminded me of a sign that I saw once in a doctor's office. The doctor was a pain specialist, and I was there with a loved one. The sign said, in big letters, "If you are using marijuana for any reason, WE WILL NOT TREAT YOU!"

Those are both very strong statements from doctors, and they show clearly how against cannabis use some doctors are. 

I remember asking the second doctor (the one I had taken a loved one to see) why he was against marijuana use. "Are you using it?" he asked me and my loved one. "No," we said, which was true. "Good," he replied. And that was the end of the conversation.

That doesn't seem very helpful from a doctor, especially if they have such strong feelings about it. A sign like his should open a conversation, not shut it down. The whole interaction was, unfortunately, pretty typical of this doctor.

The first doctor, the one who wrote the article linked above, is a little less dramatic about the whole thing, and I think her article is worth reading. She also has strong beliefs, but is also clear about why (there is little evidence that cannabis helps with pain, nausea, sleep, or other cancer-related problems, at least in the research that she lays out). But she also links to the ASCO document that came out about a month ago, called "Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Adults With Cancer: ASCO Guideline."

The ASCO recommendation are pretty much what the author has to say, providing a "nonjudgmental" approach to patients, because patient use of cannabis has "outpaced the research." In other words, up to 40% of cancer patients are using it, whatever the research says.

And the problem is that there is so little research. Blame this on marijuana remaining a Schedule I substance in the United States, meaning it is considered to be among the most dangerous, addictive drugs we know. As a Schedule I substance, there are sever limits on the kinds of research tat can be done on it. It's been a catch-22 for a very long time -- there isn't enough research to show that it might have benefits for people, but there can't be more research because it's considered dangerous.

An FDA panel has suggested that it should be moved to a Schedule III substance, but so far that hasn't happened.  

I'm fond of ASCO, as you all probably know, and their guidelines make sense to me. 

There is no evidence that cannabis can cure any type of cancer. That might not be the case if and when it goes through more clinical trials, but for now, there's no evidence. I would never suggest cannabis in any form be used Alternative Medicine -- in place of an approved, tested treatment for cancer. I'm not a fan of Alternative Medicines. 

But Complementary or Integrative Medicine? That's a different story. There is some evidence that some patients do get some benefit from cannabis use, whether for nausea, pain, sleep, anxiety, or other issues. If they get some benefit, and they obtain the cannabis legally, then what's the problem? Even if the positive effects are psychological rather than physical, there's a benefit there. 

I hope oncologists are open to the conversation, and are clear about the ASCO guidelines and what they say -- cannabis is not a cure-all, and it can do some good, but doesn't work for everyone and does have some side effects that need to be considered. You can say that about any substance, and any Integrative practice. 

I can't offer any experience with this -- I've never used cannabis for anything related to cancer. But I'd be very interested to hear about some of your experience, especially if it's used under a doctor's care (and it probably should be, just as your doctor should know about anything you take, from blood pressure meds vitamin D). I'd like to know if it's really as popular as research suggests, and if it really does work for people.

Share your stories if you're up for it.