Is it true that cannabis/marijuana can be used to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy?
Depends on the chemotherapy. Chemotherapy itself is drugs used, so any other kind of drug could harm or counteract what chemotherapy is… and there are literally hundreds of different kinds of chemo drugs used. They call it “combination chemotherapy” because they usually select a few to use together to work best. So it depends on what kind of drugs. And then what the risk of using marijuana (yes it is still bad for you, whoever still thinks otherwise is ignorant or stupid) versus the risk of the side effects of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy works by killing fast-growing cells. Marijuana doesn’t counteract this killing of fast-growing cells (hair follicles are of fast-growing cells which is why chemo patients lose hair, for example). So I honestly don’t think cannabis would work all that well to stop side effects of chemotherapy. Maybe help because of the effects (making sleepy and all) but certainly not counteract side effects.
its mostly used to stimulate the appetite and keep nutrition up. The anti-nausea properties are also viewed as being helpful…that’s all it does. In some cases, as reported by the mayo-clinic, eating may not affect the outcome of the illness or treatment. Be that as it may, if approved, marijuana would be the only drug administered by smoking. This poses problems, strength can not be guaranteed, dosage not consistent, as well as interactions with chemo. So marinol is here to give measurable, consistent doses, that can be administered at any location, and implemented into a comprehensive drug therapy. I guess Im the monster who doesn’t want to advocate children using and smoking weed…adults are one thing, children quite another…but I think ritalin and zoloft are given to waaaayyy to many children.
