According to a recent survey of over 900 cancer patients, less than 15% received information about medical marijuana from their physician or nurse – despite acknowledgement from the National Cancer Institute that cannabis treats a wide variety of disease symptoms and “has been shown to kill cancer cells.”
Specifically, medical marijuana has demonstrated efficacy in treating the following cancer symptoms and therapy side effects:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain and/or nerve damage (neuropathy)
In addition, research suggests cannabis may exert anti-cancer effects by causing cell death, modulating cell-signaling pathways, and inhibiting tumor invasion.