Yo, listen up! So, check it out. Cannabis ain’t no miracle cure for cancer, but it can definitely lend a hand when it comes to dealing with the pain, neuropathy, nausea, and lack of appetite that can come with the disease. But let me tell you, when it comes to day to day life, pain and appetite are like the big bosses calling the shots. Over half of the peeps going through cancer treatment and two thirds of those with advanced or terminal illness feel that pain. That’s where medical marijuana comes in, my friends.
See, medical marijuana can be a real game-changer for managing cancer-related pain when other treatments just ain’t cutting it or causing some nasty side effects. Now, I ain’t saying we should ditch opioids altogether ’cause they still hold the golden standard for treating severe cancer pain. But here’s the thing: if we use marijuana at the same time, it can actually help decrease pain signals in our brains and give us some anti-inflammatory goodness. And you know what that means? Less dependency on those opioids, baby!
This Technion study that recently went down is spitting some straight facts about how medical marijuana can help ease the pain of our fellow warriors fighting cancer. It was published in the journal Frontiers in Pain Research, so you know it’s legit. And get this: almost half of the patients in the study were able to kick their other pain meds to the curb after six months of using medical cannabis. Now that’s what I call progress!
Yo, this author named David Meiri knows what’s up. He’s an assistant professor at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, and he said something pretty real: “Traditionally, cancer-related pain is mainly treated by opioid analgesics, but most oncologists perceive opioid treatment as hazardous, so alternative therapies are required.” And he ain’t wrong! We need to find some alternatives, my peeps.
Now, let’s talk about how medical cannabis can help our peeps suffering from cancer-associated pain. This Technion study I mentioned earlier breaks it down real nice. It says that medical marijuana not only helps lower the pain for these warriors but also tackles other symptoms that can rain on their parade, like depression, anxiety, and insomnia. And trust me, when you’re fighting cancer, those demons can really mess with your treatment and prognosis.
Look, I know opioids can be effective in taking the edge off that pain, but let’s keep it real here: they come with a whole bunch of nasty side effects. Take fentanyl, for example. That synthetic opioid is crazy addictive and has even caused some peeps to overdose and lose their lives. It’s a real crisis out there, my friends. But don’t fret just yet ’cause there might be a light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Get this: federal health officials in the U.S. are finally realizing we need to switch things up to tackle this opioid crisis. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra dropped a bombshell when he said that the Biden administration is open to trying new strategies to save lives. They might even consider setting up supervised consumption sites! Now that’s what I’m talking about—innovation and progress!
But let’s get back to this Israeli research because it’s giving us some much-needed hope. The study had certified oncologists prescribing medical marijuana to their patients and keeping tabs on their progress. They had the patients fill out questionnaires before starting treatment and at different points over the next six months. They gathered data on all sorts of factors like pain levels, medication use, cancer symptoms, and even sexual problems (yep, they went there!).
And guess what? The results were pretty darn amazing. The patients showed significant improvement, and most importantly, they were able to cut back on their opioid use. Now, I know this study had a wide range of patients with different ages, genders, ethnicities, and different types and stages of cancer. So, I get it—they need to dig deeper and see how effective medical cannabis is for specific groups of peeps with similar characteristics. But hey, it’s a step in the right direction, my friends!
So, there you have it. Medical marijuana might just be the hero we’ve been waiting for when it comes to kicking cancer-related pain to the curb. It’s time we start exploring alternative therapies and finding ways to ease that suffering without relying solely on opioids. Let’s keep pushing forward, my peeps, and bring some relief to those who need it most. Stay strong, stay blessed, and keep fighting! Peace out!