By Jay Jay O'Brien
Certified Cannabis Wellness Coach and Educator

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the average age of individuals diagnosed with cancer is 66 years old. That means that about half of all cancer cases diagnosed are in people 66 years of age or older, and the risk continues to increase with age. (1) (2)

There is already a great risk. The statistics state that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer. With more than half of them being seniors, this is a ‘booming’ epidemic. (3)
According to Webmd, The most common cancers in aging adults are breast, prostate, colon, lung, and bladder. (4)

Second cancers are becoming more common since more people are living longer after their first cancer diagnosis than before. About 1 in every 6 people diagnosed with cancer has had a different type of cancer in the past. Often, secondary cancers are a result of the effects of treatments for the first cancer. (5)

Toxic Treatments

Chemotherapy and radiation are known carcinogens that have been used for decades as the primary treatment for most cancers, along with surgery. (6)
These treatments come with a laundry list of side effects and challenges.
According to cancer.gov, side effects of chemotherapy and radiation include: (7)

• Anemia
• Appetite loss
• Bleeding and bruising
• Constipation
• Delirium
• Edema
• Fatigue
• Flu-like symptoms
• Hair loss
• Infection and neutropenia
• Lymphedema
• Memory or cognition problems
• Mouth and throat problems
• Nerve problems (neuropathy)
• Bone loss
• Organ-related inflammation
• Pain
• Skin and nail changes
• Sleep problems
• Urinary and bladder problems

These side effects are often relatively low risk to the average person, but for the elderly, they can create serious potential complications. Some are even life-threatening. Chemotherapy and radiation can increase these risks and make conditions worse. Surgery is no safer.

For people 65 and older, there are some serious concerns when it comes to surgery; whether it be exploratory, a biopsy, tumor removal, or a reconstruction, these procedures carry elevated risks. Our hearts, kidneys, liver, and lungs are less robust than when we are younger. The ability to regulate blood pressure, and process drugs and the fluids required to administer them appropriately are often diminished. Lungs don’t hold as much air and quite often, the aged are already living with conditions like COPD or emphysema, making recovery from anesthesia riskier and also increasing the risk of pneumonia, which can sometimes be fatal. (8) That’s not to mention that recovery times after surgery can be more delicate and much lengthier, to begin with.

Another obstacle comes from the chronic conditions that people over 60 generally tend to live with like diabetes, osteoarthritis, or respiratory distresses. As a result, they often require multiple prescribed medications to treat them and their side effects. These medications can pose a risk to the body throughout treatment and can even interfere with it.

Adjuncts and Alternatives

I’ve hoped that after decades of research and billions of dollars spent we would be closer to a cure for cancer, but we’re not. (9)  After all the advances and breakthroughs in cancer treatments, poison, cut, and burn are still the standard of care.  

Currently, there is no evidence of a cure for cancer, but there are a lot of natural options out there that not everyone knows about. Options that can improve circumstances significantly. Options that can improve your life, or maybe even give you your life back.

I did a lot of research on these alternatives and adjuncts after getting my own cancer diagnosis back in November 2019. Out of all of them, the one that made the most sense for me was Cannabis. If you’re considering adding Cannabis to your treatment protocol, let me share with you what I discovered about the many ways you can benefit from Cannabinoid therapy.

Cannabis is Pain-Relieving

One of the top reasons people come to Cannabis is for pain relief. For me, it was the only thing that remotely touched the pain that maxed out daily doses of Percocet and over-the-counter pain relievers couldn’t. Roughly 60% of people who have cancer deal with some form of pain. (10)

Cannabis is an amazing alternative for patients who want to avoid opioids or for when traditional pharmaceuticals don’t seem to be working. It’s safe and effective, easily accessible, and depending on the severity of the pain, you might be able to get relief, without the psychoactivity, or ‘high’ that tends to make some people nervous.

Often, equal amounts of CBD and THC, or 1:1 formulations, can provide potent pain relief without intoxication. That’s right. You can consume THC without intoxication!

Topical applications are another excellent way to experience pain relief and are a great introductory product for seniors that have no prior experience with Cannabis to build comfort and trust.

Cannabis Improves the Efficacy of Some Traditional Treatments

There are several studies now showing that Cannabis has therapeutic potential and can actually improve the efficacy of some treatments, like Paclitaxel or Doxorubicin in the treatment of breast cancer. It also helps to manage the side effects that tend to stem from these treatments. Having a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (11) will help to determine which treatments may be right for you. (12)

Cannabis Eases Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting (CINV)

The rare occasion you see a doctor prescribe Cannabis will most likely be for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Doctors often prescribe synthetic Cannabinoids like Dronabinol and Nabilone. However, inhaled Cannabis has been the preferred method for dealing with symptoms of nausea and vomiting in general but there are some studies, and plenty of anecdotal evidence showing that ingested Cannabis oils can be beneficial as well. (13)

Cannabis Improves Appetite 

A common occurrence among cancer patients is the likelihood of cancer-related cachexia and anorexia syndrome (CACS). Loss of appetite is a routine side effect many medications and therapies provide, but loss of appetite is an already all too common issue for the elderly.

Cannabis is notorious for giving you “the munchies”. With the munchies, you may want to eat everything in sight. That’s because Cannabis interacts with your brain's CB1 receptors. CB1 receptors are found all over the body and in the centers of the brain that control eating pleasure, food palatability, and intake, as well as in the stomach and intestine where it helps to make the appetite-stimulating hormone (ghrelin). (14) (15)

Cannabis Improves Mood

Cannabis stimulates blood flow to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain which are the areas responsible for humor processing, spontaneity, impulse control, sensation, perception, and social and sexual behavior, among other things.

Increased activity in these areas of the brain when using Cannabis affects your mood in a positive way. Additionally, Cannabis stimulates chemicals that cause the release of happy hormones like serotonin and dopamine. (16) (17)

Cannabis Improves Sleep

Sleep is another major reason people come to Cannabis. Cannabis can have a positive effect on your sleep cycle for many reasons. Besides the obvious sedating effects of Cannabis, it also has the ability to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, pain, discomfort, and stress that most often affect one's ability to sleep. (18)

Health risks are known to rise with a lack of sleep. Symptoms may worsen and immunity is compromised. Sleep is extremely important to our healing.

Cannabis is Neuroprotective 

One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to Cannabis is that it causes psychosis, bipolar disorder, or brain damage. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Cannabis is neuroprotective, meaning it will actually defend your Central Nervous System (CNS) against injury. But, don’t take my word for it. The US government has a patent on Cannabidiol for this very purpose, patent #6630507B1. Even they see its value as a neuroprotectant against Dementia, Parkinson's, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative disorders. (19) (20)

Cannabis protects your brain and some evidence suggests it has anti-tumor effects in cases of Glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, so it could be a potential treatment in the future. (21)

Cannabis for the Prevention of Cancer

Cannabis is not a panacea, but it is a powerhouse. Although there is no evidence to suggest that Cannabis could be used for the prevention of cancer, we all know that maintaining balance, or ‘homeostasis’ in our bodies and in our lives is key to maintaining our health. That being said, we also know that Cannabis is one of the best regulators of our Endocannabinoid System, our central station for maintaining homeostasis.

Our Endocannabinoid system is the master control center of all the other systems of the body. It regulates digestive, reproductive, cardiovascular, and even our immune systems! Without our immune systems, we wouldn’t stand much of a chance against cancer at all.

Why Consider Cannabis for Cancer?

If you’re still skeptical after everything I’ve shared with you, maybe the safety profile of Cannabis will win you over. There has never been a recorded death from the use of Cannabis. The amount of Cannabis you would have to consume to do any potential harm to the body would have to fall on your head for it to hurt you.

The reason for this is that there are no Cannabinoid receptors in the area of the brain (medulla oblongata) that control your breathing and heartbeat.

The plant is also full of polyphenols, antioxidants, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory compounds beneficial in preventing disease, and the seeds are packed with amino acids, healthy fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to the point where they’re considered a superfood. As long as you’re taking your vitamins, why not Cannabis?

We may not yet have the studies to know for sure the role that Cannabis plays when it comes to cancer treatment, but we do know that Cannabinoids have the ability to induce apoptosis (programmed cancer cell death), inhibit angiogenesis (the formation of new cancer cells) and, prevent the proliferation (spread) of tumors. 

Also, we know that the presence of Cannabinoid receptors on some tumor cell lines may be the reason why Cannabis is such a potent player in the cancer game. By targeting these receptors by their agonists, some therapeutic potential can be seen. (22)

For these reasons and more, I believe that Cannabis would make a viable supplement for the prevention or treatment of cancer. We’ll just have to wait for science to catch up. (23)

Resources:

 1. “Risk Factors: Age and Cancer Risk.” National Cancer Institute, Updated 5 Mar. 2021, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/age.

2. “Cancer Risk by Age: What the Science Says.” City of Hope, 6 June 2023, www.cancercenter.com/community/blog/2023/06/cancer-risk-by-age#:~:text=The%20average%20age%20of%20individuals,continues%20to%20increase%20with%20age. 

3. “Lifetime Risk of Developing or Dying from Cancer.” Information and Resources about for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Lung, Prostate, Skin, www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/lifetime-probability-of-developing-or-dying-from-cancer.html. Accessed 4 July 2023.

4. “Cancer in Older Adults: The Most Common Diagnoses.” WebMD, Apr. 2023, www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/the-most-common-cancers-in-older-adults. Reviewed by Carmelita Swiner, MD on April 07, 2023

5. “What Is a Second Cancer?” Cancer.Net, 18 Nov. 2021, www.cancer.net/survivorship/what-second-cancer#:~:text=Second%20cancers%2. 

6. Blagosklonny, M V. “Carcinogenesis, Cancer Therapy and Chemoprevention.” Nature News, 8 Apr. 2005, www.nature.com/articles/4401610. 

7. “Side Effects of Cancer Treatment.” National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects. Accessed 4 July 2023. 

8. “How Cancer Surgery Affects People Age 65 and Older.” Cancer.Net, 14 Mar. 2022, www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/adults-65/how-cancer-surgery-affects-people-age-65-and-older. 

9. “2021 NCI Budget Fact Book - Research Funding.” National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov/about-nci/budget/fact-book/data/research-funding#:~:text=The%20FY%202020%20funds%20available,from%20the%20previous%20fiscal%20year. Accessed 4 July 2023. 

10. “Medical Cannabis a Valuable Option for Cancer Pain Relief.” McGill University Health Centre, https://muhc.ca/news-and-patient-stories/news/medical-cannabis-valuable-option-cancer-pain-relief,  Accessed 4 July 2023. 

11. UpToDate, www.uptodate.com/contents/comprehensive-geriatric-assessment. Accessed 4 July 2023.

12. A.I. Fraguas-Sánchez, A. Fernández-Carballido, R. Simancas-Herbada, C Martin-Sabroso, A.I. Torres-Suárez, CBD loaded microparticles as a potential formulation to improve paclitaxel and doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in breast cancer, International Journal of Pharmaceutics,
Volume 574, 2020, 118916, ISSN 0378-5173, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118916

13. P. Grimison, A. Mersiades, A. Kirby, N. Lintzeris, R. Morton, P. Haber, I. Olver, A. Walsh, I. McGregor, Y. Cheung, A. Tognela, C. Hahn, K. Briscoe, M. Aghmesheh, P. Fox, E. Abdi, S. Clarke, S. Della-Fiorentina, J. Shannon, C. Gedye, S. Begbie, J. Simes, M. Stockler, Oral THC:CBD cannabis extract for refractory chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase II crossover trial, Annals of Oncology, Volume 31, Issue 11, 2020, Pages 1553-1560, ISSN 0923-7534, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2020.07.020.

14. Hull, Michael, and Examine.com. “The Science behind Munchies: Cannabis and Your Appetite.” Examine, 31 Jan. 2023, examine.com/articles/cannabis-munchies/. 

15. Bloomfield, Michael A P et al. “The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the dopamine system.” Nature vol. 539,7629 (2016): 369-377. doi:10.1038/nature20153

16. Bloomfield, Michael A P et al. “The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the dopamine system.” Nature vol. 539,7629 (2016): 369-377. doi:10.1038/nature20153

17. Oleson, Erik B, and Joseph F Cheer. “A brain on cannabinoids: the role of dopamine release in reward seeking.” Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine vol. 2,8 a012229. 1 Aug. 2012, doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a012229

18. Ried, Karin et al. “Medicinal cannabis improves sleep in adults with insomnia: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study.” Journal of sleep research vol. 32,3 (2023): e13793. doi:10.1111/jsr.13793

19. Maroon, Joseph, and Jeff Bost. “Review of the neurological benefits of phytocannabinoids.” Surgical neurology international vol. 9 91. 26 Apr. 2018, doi:10.4103/sni.sni_45_18

20. “US6630507B1 - Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants.” Google Patents, patents.google.com/patent/US6630507B1/en. Accessed 4 July 2023. 

21. Likar, Rudolf, and Gerhard Nahler. “The use of cannabis in supportive care and treatment of brain tumor.” Neuro-oncology practice vol. 4,3 (2017): 151-160. doi:10.1093/nop/npw027

22. Sami Sarfaraz, Vaqar M. Adhami, Deeba N. Syed, Farrukh Afaq, Hasan Mukhtar; Cannabinoids for Cancer Treatment: Progress and Promise. Cancer Res 15 January 2008; 68 (2): 339–342. https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-2785

23. “Is Cannabis a Superfood?” Maximum Yield, www.maximumyield.com/is-cannabis-a-superfood/2/17782#:~:text=Cannabis%20can%20be%20grouped%20as,potassium%2C%20zinc%2C%20and%20folate. Accessed 4 July 2023. 

About Jay Jay O’Brien:

Jay Jay is the founder and creator of naturalisticallynow and the Canecdotal Collective, where she educates and assists people with cancer, implementing Cannabis into their protocols. As a stage 4 lung cancer survivor and caregiver to her type 1 diabetic son, Jay Jay has learned that you truly do "get what you give", and with Cannabis, she believes we have the opportunity to give our bodies the opportunity to truly heal rather than just masking our symptoms. Through her own experience of healing, she has now made it her mission to share the capabilities of Cannabis with all who will listen.

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Effective Cannabis Newsletter is a platform to educate on the vital role of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) in one's health. The information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information contained in or available through this newsletter is for general information purposes only. It is not medical advice; it is health awareness.