Many know medical marijuana to be an effective solution for easing conditions like anxiety, nausea, depression, and insomnia, but what about more rapidly developing, aggressive diseases? Research suggests that the cannabinoids in medical cannabis may offer an effective therapy for cancer symptoms while killing tumor cells.
At LeafMed, a Mississippi medical marijuana dispensary, we aim to keep you informed on the medical purposes of cannabis. Read on to learn more about how marijuana interacts with brain tumors.
Understanding How Medical Marijuana Interacts With Brain Tumors
A brain tumor is an abnormal tissue mass in the brain where cells form and divide in places they shouldn’t. Brain tumors range in severity. The four main types of brain tumors are as follows:
· Benign: Benign tumors are non-cancerous, grow from existing brain cells, and typically cause minimal harm as they progress at a slow rate.
· Malignant: Malignant tumors contain cancerous cells that can multiply rapidly, causing life-threatening complications.
· Primary: Primary tumors begin growing in the brain and may spread elsewhere, typically when malignant.
· Metastatic: Metastatic brain tumors spread to the brain from other locations.
Brain tumors can cause a wide range of strange symptoms as they affect your cognition. Common symptoms include headaches, balance issues, speech or vision problems, nausea, confusion, seizures, gradual immobility, and behavioral changes. The American Brain Tumor Association estimates approximately 80,000 new brain tumor reports annually. Of that number, 32% are malignant.
Current Tumor Removal Options
Brain tumor removal depends on the size, defined outlines, and malignancy of the growth. In general, options include the following:
· Surgery
· Chemotherapy or radiation
· Targeted drug therapy
While the above options can be effective in removing the growth, they come with large risks and uncomfortable side effects. Brain surgery often requires long-term therapeutic strategies to help you return to normal, though permanent damage, like vision loss, can also occur. Chemotherapy, radiation, and drug therapy can cause severe fatigue, hair loss, anemia, and appetite loss.
How Cannabis Can Effectively Help Kill Tumor Cells
A Spanish research study in 2009 discovered that medical marijuana contains active ingredients that can kill brain tumor cells without harming healthy brain cells. The team studied the effects on two human patients and confirmed that the process effectively shrank each participant’s brain tumor without adverse effects. Medical cannabis and brain tumors interact in two ways: gene changes and programmed cell death.
· Gene changes: Researchers have discovered that medical marijuana can alter cells to create the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) compound. As a result, cannabis can limit the blood supply to the tumor, preventing it from growing.
· Programmed cell death: By cutting off the blood supply to cancer cells, medical marijuana can starve the tumor, causing programmed cell death.
Further research from 2017 concluded that high doses of THC and CBD could reduce tumor volumes by 50% to 95% and even eradicate them in rare cases. Both cannabis derivatives may offer an effective alternative to traditional tumor removal options for inoperable patients or anyone seeking further remedies.
Brain Tumor Side Effects That Medical Marijuana May Ease
Aside from the potential to shrink tumors, medical marijuana may ease the associated side effects of brain tumors and cancer therapies. Medical cannabis can relieve the following common symptoms:
· Headaches
· Vomiting
· Nausea
· Depression
· Anxiety
· Memory loss
· Fatigue
· Seizures
· Pain
· Appetite loss
Research suggests that weight loss and cachexia syndrome affect 50% to 80% of cancer patients, causing 25% of fatalities. Ample research supports medical marijuana’s ability to improve appetite, helping patients struggling with such conditions and related symptoms, like fatigue and memory loss.
Continue Learning About the Power of Medical Marijuana
Now that you understand the effects of medical cannabis and brain tumors, continue learning about its other powerful health benefits, like medical marijuana for muscle spasms. Visit your local LeafMed Mississippi medical marijuana dispensary or call us today with any questions.