A new federally funded study sheds light on cancer patients’ use of medical marijuana and how symptom relief differs based on the THC and CBD content of the cannabis products they are using. Researchers said that the results, which also shed light on barriers to access such as high costs, underscore the “need for insurance coverage of medicinal cannabis.”
“Cannabis use conferred therapeutic benefits for several health issues commonly encountered by cancer patients,” the paper, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, said. “Common benefits reported across the cohort of patients included pain relief, improved sleep, physical relaxation, emotional regulation, and reduction of concomitant medication.”
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University and Realm of Caring Foundation surveyed 65 patients with cancer who use cannabis, asking about the types of products they consume, the perceived benefits on their symptoms and any negative impacts.
They then compared those who use CBD-dominant preparations only with those who used products containing both THC and CBD, finding that symptom relief differed between the two groups.
While “pain relief was the most frequently discussed benefit among all cancer patients” in the study, it was most prominent among those who used
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