CBD and Cancer: What You Need to Know

These days, it’s nearly impossible to not find a post, article or anecdote about the powerful benefits of CBD. This compound, extracted from the hemp plant, is also known by its full name, cannabidiol—and it works within our body’s endocannabinoid system to help promote homeostasis, or balance.

CBD is all the rage lately, and with good reason: While it does not contain THC (another cannabinoid responsible for creating that feeling of getting you “high” from smoking or ingesting marijuana), it has been known to create feelings of relaxation and to soothe stress. It can also help alleviate pain and inflammation. With so many of us reaching for CBD to get us through our days, many people wonder if CBD would be beneficial to those battling cancer or recovering from cancer treatment. Here’s the latest on CBD and cancer.

Can CBD help prevent cancer?

Because hemp and hemp-derived CBD have only recently become legal, studies centering around CBD. are—in the grand scheme of scientific study—still in their infancy. There is so much we continue to learn about cannabidiol and other cannabinoids; while there is reason to celebrate early findings about CBD and its anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body, there is not yet definitive evidence that CBD can help prevent cancer.

Still, there may be reason to be hopeful. According to Healthline, “A  2019 review of in vitro and in vivo studies focusing on pancreatic cancer found that cannabinoids can help slow tumor growth, reduce tumor invasion, and induce tumor cell death. The study authors wrote that research into the effectiveness of different formulations, dosing, and precise mode of action is lacking and urgently needed.”

Additionally, Healthline references research from 2010 that “demonstrated the efficacy of CBD in preclinical models of metastatic breast cancer. The study found that CBD significantly reduced breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion.” The bottom line? Further studies are critical in linking the effects of CBD on cancer, and we don’t yet know enough to determine if CBD will have a positive impact on cancer patients. Still, with the legalization of hemp and hemp-derived CBD, we can now be hopeful that CBD and its influence on human health will be studied extensively.

Does CBD help with cancer treatment?

Although CBD has not been proven to aid in curing cancer or in positively impacting the treatment of cancer, CBD may play an important role, just the same. Because it works within the body’s endocannabinoid system— responsible for regulating pain and inflammation, among other physiologic and homeostatic functions—CBD may work to alleviate pain and discomfort in some people.

In fact, according to the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health , “Clinical trials lasting from days to months, involving more than 1,000 patients, have shown efficacy in different categories of chronic pain conditions ( Table 2 ), but the vast majority of controlled trials have involved patients with chronic neuropathic pain. 67 – 78."

Is CBD safe for people with cancer?

As with anything regarding a serious medical condition, cancer patients should always discuss a CBD regimen with their doctor, especially when actively undergoing treatment. While hemp-derived CBD may help alleviate feelings of stress, anxiety and even pain in people who are otherwise healthy, it has not been
deemed safe or effective in treating cancer. In some cases, CBD may actually interfere with critical drugs that are necessary to treat cancer. Always check with your doctor if CBD is right for you.

The future of CBD and cancer

While it’s true that full spectrum CBD has not been scientifically proven to prevent, cure or treat cancer, the benefits of CBD on cancer are still being studied—and that’s good news for CBD. The more areas of study that focus on CBD, the more we’ll understand how powerful this cannabinoid truly is.

In just the short amount of time that CBD has become mainstream, it has become a go-to ingredient for many people to manage anxiety, stress, skin issues, inflammation and become an integral part of many a wellness routine. With the power of research behind it, the possibilities for CBD—and other cannabinoids
that are only now being discovered and studied for the first time—are endless. As this powerful ingredients has found a home in CBD skin care ,bedtime routines, and post-workout body care, we can’t wait to see where CBD takes us next.

Wherever that is, chances are, you’ll find us there, touting all the new reasons to love it.