In Less Than 2 Months, Federal Health Agency Has Granted $6.4M To Study Medical Marijuana In Cancer Patients

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), recently awarded $3.2 million to researchers studying the effects of medical marijuana in breast cancer treatment.

The University of Florida Health Center reported that scientists hypothesize that medical marijuana could improve treatment-related symptoms and clinical outcomes in some patients by targeting and modulating the inflammasome/inflammatory pathway.

The news comes on the heels of another NCI grant of $3.2 million to a psychologist at the University at Buffalo who is studying the effects of cannabis use in cancer patients who are receiving immunotherapy treatment, which helps your immune system fight cancer, resulting in fewer side effects than chemotherapy.

With a five-year U01 award, a team of researchers from the UF Health Cancer Center and the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center will study medical cannabis effects in breast cancer patients. Dr. Jennifer Hu, professor and division director in the Department of Public Health Science at the University of Miami School of Medicine leads a 12-member team.

Cannabis And Cancer

In less than two months, NCI has granted $6.4 million towards cannabis and cancer research, which should come as no surprise as many studies have confirmed cannabis' potential as a treatment for various types of cancer. For example, in March 2022, the Israeli biotech company Cannabotech reported cell model study results showing that its "Integrative-Colon" products killed over 90% of colon cancer cells. The Integrative-Colon products are based on a combination of several cannabinoids from the cannabis plant and various mushroom extracts.

Another study conducted by Hadassah Medical Center physicians and published in December 2021 revealed a sixfold improvement in killing breast cancer cells when using specific Cannabotech’s medical cannabis products in combination with standard oncology treatments and drug protocols such as chemotherapy, biological and hormonal, over the existing treatment.

See Also: CBD Inhibits Colorectal Cancer Progression, Say Researchers In New Study

Breast Cancer Study 

Researchers will analyze data from 600 patients during and after breast cancer treatment, out of which 300 will be medical marijuana and cannabinoid users and another 300 non-medical marijuana and cannabinoid users. The scientists will gather and analyze data on patient-reported outcomes, clinical-reported outcomes, adverse reactions, etc. The granted money will cover personnel, consultants, supplies, travel and other necessary expenses, writes WUFT.

“As many as 40% of U.S. cancer patients use medical marijuana to manage cancer-related symptoms, yet we know very little about its effects during and after cancer treatments,” stated Dejana Braithwaite, Ph.D., associate director for cancer population sciences at the UF Health Cancer Center. “This innovative study is an ambitious effort to provide answers to pressing questions about medical marijuana and cancer. It will help doctors address questions about the effects of medical marijuana among cancer patients of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as shed light on the benefits and harms of medical marijuana.”

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It is about 30% of all new female cancers each year, highlighting the need for this kind of important research.

See Also: Smoking Pot Makes You 55% Less Likely To Develop This Deadly Cancer

Photo: Benzinga edit with images from nneem via Pixabay and Miguel Á. Padriñán via Pexels