Medical Cannabis and Cancer
One of the most prolific uses of medicinal cannabis is in cases of cancer. This is one of the most arduous and most widespread diseases in Israel, and patients dealing with the disease also have to deal with the side effects of the various medical treatments.
Over the years it transpired that medicinal cannabis has a positive effect on those contending with the disease and with the treatments associated with the disease. The various properties of the plant alleviate the side effects of the various treatments, including nausea, vomiting, and a lack of appetite as well as the pain caused as a result of the cancer. This is in addition to the fact that the use of medicinal cannabis assists in lifting the spirits of the patients.
In light of these facts, the use of medicinal cannabis is permitted in Israel for cancer sufferers, with the objective of assisting them in contending with the disease.
However, various research studies are being conducted around the world, that examine the effects of medicinal cannabis on the existence of cancer itself as a disease. Various studies are slowly but surely managing to prove that a combination of medicinal cannabis with a high
concentration of CBD can be used in conjunction with radiation treatment, instead of the more common combination of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
In these cases, it has transpired that the CBD component in medicinal cannabis blocks the gene responsible for the development of cancerous growths in the body and thus prevents the spread of the disease. This process is being studied vis-à-vis breast cancer, cerebral cancer, and prostate cancer.
In other cases, it has transpired that CBD assists the immune system to identify the cancerous cells and thus enables the body to treat the disease on its own. In addition, a number of cases have been documented of people who, by the use of medicinal cannabis, have seen a significant improvement in their medical conditions. However, these are relatively preliminary studies and therefore the use of medicinal cannabis has not yet been permitted so far to this end.
One way or the other, the advantages of the use of the plant results from the fact that it has an effect on diseased cells and does not affect healthy cells, as commonly used pharmaceutical drugs do.
