Easing the Journey: Medical Cannabis for Managing Cancer Symptoms

Research shows possible benefits medical cannabis can have on cancer symptoms and treatment side effects.

Nausea and vomiting. Studies have found that medical cannabis can ease these side effects of chemotherapy. The FDA has also approved dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros) and nabilone (Cesamet), man-made cannabinoids, to treat these symptoms when other nausea medications don’t work.

Pain. Some studies have found that medical cannabis can ease cancer-related pain. It binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain and other parts of the body. Cannabis may also ease inflammation, which can also help with pain.

Nerve pain. Neuropathy is weakness, numbness, or pain caused by nerve damage. It can happen as a result of chemotherapy or other cancer treatments. A few studies have found that medical cannabis can help this specific type of nerve pain.

Appetite and weight loss. Dronabinol is FDA-approved for loss of appetite, but not specifically for cancer. There are some small studies that show ​medical cannabis may also help improve appetite for people with cancer.