A groundbreaking meta-analysis study, published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, has revealed overwhelming scientific support for the use of medical cannabis in cancer treatment.
The extensive research, which analysed data from over 10,000 peer-reviewed research papers, found that more than 70% of studies support the therapeutic benefits of cannabis for cancer patients.
Researchers from the Whole Health Oncology Institute and Chopra Foundation reviewed findings from studies containing nearly 40,000 data points related to cannabis and various health outcomes. Their analysis revealed that “support for medical cannabis is 31.38× stronger than opposition to it” across all cancer topics examined.
“The findings indicate a strong and growing consensus within the scientific community regarding the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, particularly in the context of cancer,” the study authors stated. “The consistent correlation strengths for cannabis as both a palliative adjunct and a potential anticarcinogenic agent redefine the consensus around cannabis as a medical intervention.”
The meta-analysis, described as “the largest ever conducted on medical cannabis and its effects on cancer-related symptoms,” examined three main categories: health metrics, cancer treatments, and cancer dynamics.
In health-related measures, the supportive sentiment was nearly 47 times stronger than opposition, with researchers noting “a robust consensus indicating that cannabis’ benefits in reducing inflammation significantly outweigh potential risks.”
For managing cancer treatment side effects, the study found strong support for cannabis use in alleviating pain, nausea, and appetite loss. The evidence for pain relief was particularly compelling, with supported sentiments being 211.96% more likely than not supported sentiments.
“This indicates that studies involving medical cannabis and pain were significantly more likely than average to result in supported sentiment and significantly less likely than average to report not supported sentiments,” the researchers explained.
Perhaps most striking was the evidence supporting cannabis as a potential anticarcinogenic agent. The analysis revealed particularly strong associations between cannabis and reduced tumour growth, with no significant opposition found in the literature.
“Studies investigating therapeutic use of cannabis were overwhelmingly likely to present supported sentiments, with inverse relationships between not supported and unclear sentiments,” the study noted.
“We expected controversy. What we found was overwhelming scientific consensus. This is one of the clearest, most dramatic validations of medical cannabis in cancer care that the scientific community has ever seen,” said Ryan Castle, Head of Research at Whole Health Oncology Institute, in a press release.
The findings are especially significant given the legal restrictions on cannabis, which have historically complicated research into its therapeutic potential. The authors suggest that their results challenge this classification, stating that “the strong consensus supporting the therapeutic use of cannabis, particularly in the context of cancer, suggests that there is a substantial scientific basis for re-evaluating cannabis’ legal status.”
The meta-analysis also identified areas requiring further research, including the precise mechanisms of cannabinoid interaction with inflammatory processes and the topic of cannabis and opioid use in pain management.
Despite these knowledge gaps, the study concludes that “the consistency of positive sentiments across a wide range of studies suggests that cannabis should be re-evaluated within the medical community as a treatment option.”
The findings have significant implications for public health research, clinical practice, and policy discussions surrounding the legal status of medical cannabis. As the researchers note, “These results suggest a need for further research to explore the full therapeutic potential of cannabis and address knowledge gaps.”
This story first appeared on leafie, view here
Author: Liam O’Dowd
