Cannabis and cancer
Treatment with Cannabis in cancer
The use of Cannabis in cancer treatment is aimed at reducing the symptoms produced by the disease, or the side effects generated by chemotherapy or radiotherapy sessions.
The therapeutic effects of Cannabis are generated by two components, THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol and CBD or Cannabidiol, both substances with multiple medicinal properties. THC produces more psychoactive effects that affect mood, while CBD produces more somatic/body effects, the latter being more useful in therapeutic use.
The CBD/THC ratio of each Cannabis species is different, in the Cannabis Sativa species there is a predominance of the psychoactive substance THC, so it is more frequently used for recreational purposes, while the Cannabis Indica species contains a higher concentration of CBD, so it is ideal for medical use.
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The overdose of analgesic drugs during cancer is very common, one of the most used groups of drugs for pain in cancer patients, are opioids, such as morphine, oxycodone or hydromorphone.
These drugs are very powerful, but one of the disadvantages is that the body generates tolerance to its effect, so the patient increases the dose, producing a lot of side effects such as; Nausea, severe constipation, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, anxiety, physical dependence to the drug and if it is suddenly discontinued it causes withdrawal syndrome.
At Omsana Health our objective is to use this type of alternative therapies for pain, controlling pain with different mechanisms of action, where the dosage of this type of medication can be reduced, in order to reduce adverse effects and improve the patient’s quality of life.
The medicinal benefits of Cannabis against cancer are:
- Analgesic properties
Cannabis extracts have analgesic qualities reducing pain in the patient, without the side effects produced by other types of medications. This therapy can be used in combination with the medications that the patient uses for his pain, being able to reduce the dose of medications such as morphine or oxycodone, thus reducing the severe side effects. - Appetite stimulation
Decreased appetite in cancer patients is a frequent symptom, which leads to a state of malnutrition, thus deteriorating their quality of life. Cannabis produces an activation in receptors of the central nervous system that stimulates the appetite in the patient. - Muscle relaxant
Muscle contractions are a recurrent symptom in cancer patients, so with an adequate dosage of cannabis, muscle pain can be reduced. - Anxiolytics
The emotional stress generated in a patient with degenerative diseases can lead him to suffer recurrent anxiety attacks, wearing him down emotionally. Cannabis extracts generate in the patient a state of sedation that reduces anxiety episodes. - Sleep inducer
Being exposed to constant anxiety attacks, it is common for patients with this type of disease to suffer from insomnia so they cannot sleep and rest properly, wearing them out physically. Cannabis is useful to induce sleep in the patient through its relaxing effect. - Antitumor Effects
There are cases and testimonies where an antitumor effect and growth inhibition of cancer cells in certain patients is reported, but it is still under investigation.
The Cannabis extracts we use in Omsana Health are Rick Simpson’s Oil and a CBD extract in drops, which will be dosed according to the patient’s tolerance.