Key points
- Cannabis and individual cannabinoids (compounds in the plant like tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] or cannabidiol [CBD]) have been studied to manage the side effects of cancer and cancer therapies (like chemotherapy).
- Findings suggest that certain cannabinoids can help relieve some side effects.
Cannabis use and cancer
Cannabis and individual cannabinoids (compounds in the plant like tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] or cannabidiol [CBD]) have been studied to manage the side effects of cancer and cancer therapies (like chemotherapy). Findings suggest that certain cannabinoids can help relieve some of those side effects.1 However, studies have not shown that cannabis or individual cannabinoids can cure cancer.1 Like many other drugs, cannabis can cause side effects and complications. Avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer or relying on cannabis alone to treat or manage the effects of cancer may have serious health consequences.2
Frequently Asked Questions
How can cannabis affect symptoms or side effects of cancer or cancer therapy?
Studies of the chemicals (or cannabinoids) found in the cannabis plant suggest that certain cannabinoids can be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy,1 as well as in treating neuropathic pain (pain caused by damaged nerves).1 The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two specific drugs (dronabinol [name brands Marinol and Syndros] and nabilone [name brand Cesamet]) that are synthetic (man-made) forms of specific cannabinoids for use in cancer patients with chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting. More research is needed to understand the effects of cannabis as a treatment for cancer-related symptoms or side effects of cancer therapy.
Is there a link between cannabis and cancer?
Smoked cannabis delivers THC and other cannabinoids to the body, but it also delivers harmful substances, including many of the same toxins and carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) found in tobacco smoke,3 which are harmful to the lungs and cardiovascular system.4 More research is needed to understand the effects cannabis might have on lung and other respiratory cancers. However, limited evidence of an association between current, frequent, or chronic cannabis smoking and testicular cancer (non-seminoma-type) has been documented.15
Because cannabis can be used in different ways, with different levels of active compounds, it can affect each person differently. More research is needed to understand the full impact of cannabis use on cancer.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: the current state of evidence and recommendations for research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2017. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24625/the-health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids-the-current-state. Accessed February 8, 2024.
- National Cancer Institute. Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ®)—Patient Version. Vol. 2019. 2019. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/cannabis-pdq. Accessed February 9, 2024.
- Moir D, Rickert WS, Levasseur G, et al. A comparison of mainstream and sidestream marijuana and tobacco cigarette smoke produced under two machine smoking conditions. Chem Res Toxicol. 2008;21(2):494-502. doi: 10.1021/tx700275p.
- Lushniak BD, Samet JM, Pechacek TF. et al. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA. 2014.
- Gurney C, Shaw J, Stanley V, et al. Cannabis exposure and risk of testicular cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer. 2015;15:897. doi: 10.1186/s12885-015-1905-6.