Free Essay: How Marijuana Can Help Cancer Patients and other Patients Suffering from Constant Pain

Marijuana is a drug obtained from shredded and dried buds of the Cannabis sativa plant. Across most societies and jurisdictions, marijuana use is forbidden owing to the psychological and physical health effects it causes, such as increased anxiety, depression, bronchitis, and lung cancer. As such, there is a widespread negative perception of marijuana use, especially when people become addicted to it. Nonetheless, marijuana has a medicinal value that societies are beginning to acknowledge. According to Pietrangelo and Cherney (2018), 29 states in the US had, by 2017, sanctioned marijuana use for medical purposes, specifically for cancer and palliative care. The increasing acceptance of medical marijuana, arguably, stems from the premise that it has been used as an herb over the years. With that in mind, this essay advances the claim that due to its medicinal benefits, marijuana can be used in relieving pain and taking care of cancer patients.

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With the growing legalization of medical marijuana not only in the US but also globally, there is a need for credible information about its curative effects and the elements it contains. Kramer (2015) stated that marijuana contains compounds known as cannabinoids, which occur in more than 60 forms. However, most researches have focused on two forms, that is, cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC). These two forms stimulate the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which are CB1 and CB2. Kramer (2015) acknowledged that THC is the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, analgesic, and euphoriant properties. CBD, on the other hand, has low affinity for the receptors but contains anticonvulsive, antipsychotic, and anxiolytic properties.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two cannabinoids for pharmaceutical use, namely dronabinol and nabilone (Kramer, 2015). Dronabinol contains synthetically-derived THC that is liquefied in sesame oil. The FDA recommends dronabinol for treating anorexia caused by HIV/AIDS and for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) (Kramer, 2015). Nabilone is also synthetic and can as well be used for treating CINV. Vomiting and nausea are possible side effects of chemotherapy experienced by cancer patients.

The ability of marijuana to increase appetite and suppress vomiting and nausea among cancer patients has been subject to intense debates. However, significant clinical studies reveal that marijuana can be effective in managing these side effects. Joy and Mack (2000) argued that scholars have conducted clinical trials on the ability of 8-THC and 9-THC cannabinoids, levonantradol, and nabilone for their ability to quell vomiting. The trials have shown that these four chemicals contained in marijuana have mild antiemetic effects, that is, can subdue nausea and vomiting among patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Joy and Mack (2000) also cited another research that investigated smoked marijuana among 56 cancer patients, who did not find earlier antiemetic medicines to be effective. The findings indicated that about 80% of these patients considered marijuana as being either highly or fairly effective than the other antiemetic drugs that they were using. When smoked marijuana was compared to oral THC, the results showed that they both had equal antiemetic effects on cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

However, the American Cancer Society (n.d.) maintained that the impact of marijuana on cancer patients varies based on how it is taken or ingested. For smoked marijuana, the THC is absorbed in the bloodstream and transported to the brain cells rapidly. The psychoactive element in this THC has a mild effect on the cells and fades faster since it is processed in small amounts. On the contrary, the rate of absorption of THC in oral marijuana is slower. Nonetheless, the liver processes its psychoactive element in larger amounts, thereby making the effect of oral marijuana on the brain different from that of the smoked form.

Concerning cancer symptoms, smoked marijuana is more effective in treating neuropathic pain as well as reducing vomiting and nausea (American Cancer Society [ACS], n.d.). Arguably, the most noticeable benefit of smoked marijuana among cancer patients is that it enhances their appetite and food intake to address the problem of loss of weight caused by chemotherapy. As such, these patients can eat enough food to generate the much-needed energy to sustain them through the cancer treatment period. Additionally, the ACS (n.d.) stated that research outcomes have shown that CBD and THC either slow down the development or kill some kinds of cancerous tissues in laboratory plates. Researches on animal specimens also indicate a reduction in the spread of tumors (ACS, n.d.).

Birdsall et al. (2016) supported the above findings by reviewing findings on the possible anticancer effects of marijuana. The findings revealed that cannabinoids contribute significantly to controlling vital paths involved in cell metastasis, angiogenesis, invasion, and survival. Moreover, cannabinoid receptors are present in prostatic tumors with nabilone and dronabinol having a repressive effect on these cells, whose level depends on the dosage. Birdsall et al. (2016) continued to purport that CBD prevents the growth of colon, prostate, lung, and breast cancer. Based on the above findings, it would, thus, be justified to assert that marijuana, in both oral and smoked form, is a safe and useful herbal remedy for treating cancer.

Another benefit of marijuana is its ability to treat chronic pain. According to Mastroianni (2019), 62% of the users of medical marijuana take it due to its palliative properties. The increased use of medical marijuana has been precipitated by the rising number of people reporting with constant pain problems. Mastroianni (2019) maintained that in 2018, about 50 million Americans were suffering from prolonged pain. Besides, the number of licensed cannabis patients rose from 641176 in 2016 to 813917 in 2017 (Mastroianni, 2019). Most of these patients were registered to use medical cannabis to relieve them of enduring pain.

The correlation between marijuana and pain can be understood based on the functioning of the nervous system. Joy and Mack (2000) argued that the brain interprets pain through nerve impulses originating from receptor-bearing cells. Various external factors, such as chemical changes, body movement, and temperature stimulate these cells, which then transmit the pain impulses via either the neuropathic, visceral or somatic pathways. When one smokes or takes marijuana orally, the cannabinoids block the peripheral nerve cells that sense pain signals even though the pain-relieving effect is mild to moderate. All in all, Joy and Mack (2000) acknowledged that marijuana subdues pain in different ways. Therefore, despite it being a mild pain reliever, marijuana can be very effective when combined with opiates, which enhance its palliative properties and mitigates possible side effects.

The most significant pain-relieving effect of marijuana is in the pain felt by cancer patients. Joy and Mack (2000) purported that cancer invades sensitive tissues and bones causing nerve injuries and inflammation, which are sources of pain. Other pharmaceuticals, such as opiates, are ineffective in suppressing this pain due to its persistence and severity. The usefulness of marijuana in treating such pain was confirmed by an analysis of 10 advanced cancer patients who received four dosages of THC capsules over consecutive days. The results revealed that significant pain suppression during the days when the patients received 20 and 15 mg of the THC and moderate relief when they received 10 and 5 mg (Joy & Mack, 2000).

Marijuana also has a higher palliative effect relative to other narcotic pain relievers. Joy and Mack (2000) compared the pain-relieving effect of a single dosage of THC with codeine and discovered that 60 mg of codeine were required to achieve a similar palliative effect to that of 10 mg of THC. Additionally, these two doses of codeine and THC resulted in the same side effects although codeine was less tranquilizing. Patients who took the THC felt less nervous and had a higher sense of mental wellbeing than those who took codeine. Therefore, considering that pain relievers cause side effects to the chronic pain patient, THC is comparatively safer due to the calmness it causes in addition to its low risk of lethal overdose.

The discussion above has underpinned the position that marijuana is considerably useful to cancer patients and those suffering from chronic pain. Cancer patients experience weight loss, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting as they undergo chemotherapy. The studies reviewed show that marijuana helps in improving the patients’ food intake and appetite, which provides them with energy to counter the weight loss caused by cancer. Marijuana also quells nausea and vomiting to ensure that most of the food eaten by these patients is absorbed into the bloodstream. Concerning constant pain, the studies reveal that marijuana blocks the peripheral nerve cells and pain receptors in the brain, thereby inhibiting the transmission of the pain signals. Ultimately, the patients feel relieved without overdosing and with minimal side effects. For these reasons, more jurisdictions globally should approve marijuana for medical purposes.

References

American Cancer Society. (n.d.). Marijuana and cancer. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8247.00.pdf

Birdsall, S. M., Birdsall, T. C., & Tims, L. A. (2016). The use of medical marijuana in cancer. Current Oncology Reports, 18(7), 40. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Timothy_Birdsall/publication/303465776_The_Use_of_Medical_Marijuana_in_Cancer/links/5a9b399a45851586a2ac2b52/The-Use-of-Medical-Marijuana-in-Cancer.pdf

Joy, J., & Mack, A. (2000). Marijuana as medicine?: The science beyond the controversy. National Academies Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224394/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK224394.pdf

Kramer, J. L. (2015). Medical marijuana for cancer. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 65(2), 109-122. https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.3322/caac.21260

Mastroianni, B. (2019). Chronic pain top reason for medical marijuana use. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-drives-patients-to-use-medical-marijuana-chronic-pain

Pietrangelo, A., & Cherney, K. (2018). The effects of marijuana on your body. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/addiction/marijuana/effects-on-body#4