Cannabis has been used for centuries for therapeutic purposes. In the last century, the plant was demonized due to its high abuse liability and supposedly insufficient health benefits.
The purpose of this study was to provide the most up-to-date scientific evidence of the potential analgesic effects, or lack thereof, of the marijuana plant (cannabis) or cannabinoids, and of safety or tolerability of their long-term use.
An increasing number of patients are turning to cannabis and cannabinoids for management of their palliative and nonpalliative cancer pain and other cancer-related symptoms.
Interest in the medicinal use of cannabis and cannabinoids is mounting worldwide. Fueled by enthusiastic media coverage, patients perceive cannabinoids as a natural remedy for many symptoms.
Growing numbers of patients, consuming cannabinoids admitted to surgery, create a challenge to anesthesia providers.
Insufficient management of cancer-associated chronic and neuropathic pain adversely affects patient quality of life.
Medical cannabis, or cannabinoid-based products, continues to grow in popularity globally, driving the evolution of regulatory access frameworks; cancer patients and caregivers often rely on guidance from their physicians regarding cannabinoid-based treatments.
Recently, many countries have enacted new cannabis policies, including decriminalization of cannabis possession as well as legalization of medical and recreational cannabis. In this context, patients and their physicians have had an increasing number of conversations about the risks and benefits of cannabis.
Minnesota’s medical cannabis program is unique, in that it routinely collects patient-reported scores on symptoms. This article focuses on changes in symptom severity reported by patients with cancer during their first 4 months of program participation.
The use of cannabis for medical purposes has been recently legalised in many countries including the Czech Republic.
