How CBD can Help Cancer Patients
** Disclaimer: This post contains links to affiliate products.
Cannabidoil (commonly known as CBD) is creating a lot of buzz in the cancer world because of its potential benefits to patients and survivors.
Federally legalized back in 2018, CBD has exploded in popularity due to its ability to support patients in managing stress, healthy sleep cycles, regulation of appetite, promoting calm, focus and clarity, and pain management.
Need to Know Info
There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding around the use of CBD. One important thing to realize is that while CBD is derived from the same plant, it doesn’t have the psychoactive “high” effects of THC, the active compound in marijuana. Distillation and production of CBD is unregulated, so before buying, it is important to understand the production process of the brand you want to buy, and be sure to know if trace levels of THC are present. Read more about that here.
How CBD Can Help
For cancer patients, there are multiple possible benefits of regular CBD use. In fact, this is where CBD really shines. Existing research has shown that CBD can help with anxiety, insomnia, nausea and pain, all common side effects of treatment for cancer. Research has also shown that CBD may help with nerve pain from damage caused by chemotherapy. There have even been a few small studies that have shown CBD may be effective in slowing the growth of cancer cells (in mice) but more research is needed on human subjects, specifically human subjects with cancer.
Challenges with CBD
While there is not yet enough evidence to say anything definitive about CBD possibly being a cancer fighting drug, we do know CBD can be beneficial to cancer patients in other ways.
The effects of CBD are still being researched and it is very possible that we begin to see more CBD treatments as legalization becomes more common and more research is done on the drug. While CBD is legal federally, legalization from state to state is inconsistent so it can be challenging for researchers to obtain hemp plants in order to perform research on CBD legally. Because of this, the only FDA approved medical treatment involving CBD oil, Epidiolex, was approved in 2018 for treatment of two epilepsy-related conditions. Since then, there have been no other CBD products approved specifically for medical use by the FDA. This is sure to change as more research is done on the drug and new medicines are created from it, but it is important to keep this fact in mind when considering if you should try CBD. As with any changes to your lifestyle, diet, supplements or physical activity, you should always consult with your doctor.
Brands We Love
If you do decide to give CBD a try, we are fans of Green Conmpass products. They are a family based brand that “grew up” in the same town we did. With Green Compass products, you can be sure you are purchasing quality, pure, safe, and effective, 100% American Grown products that go through an extremely detailed quality control process.
Our favorite products (and why!):
Digestive Health Nano Jellies - because gut health IS health!
Full Spectrum Hemp Extract - Mint Flavor (may contain trace amounts of THC - 0.3%) - supports relief from daily stresses, healthyy regulation of appetite, supports healthy sleep cycle, helps maintain a sense of calm and focus. - Or, grab the cinnamon flavor which is SO tasty!
Broad Spectrum Hemp Flower Extract - Natural Flavor - same great benefits as the Full Spectrum line but THC is non-detectable as tested down to 100ppm. Also available in cinnamon and blood orange vanilla flavors!
Green Compass is based in Wilmington NC and grows all of their hemp for their CBD oil locally in North Carolina. Bonus, when you purchase through this link, proceeds from your purchase support Going Beyond the Pink!
Bonus, there are a variety of different products including CBD oil, topical lotions, edibles and even bath bombs. Make sure to check the laws in your state to see what restrictions are applied to the purchase of CBD products.
Some CBD products (look for “Full Spectrum” on the label) may contain trace amounts of THC that could be picked up by a drug test if you need to pass one for employment purposes. If you are interested in using CBD to help with chemotherapy or radiation side effects, always make sure to talk to your oncologist beforehand.
For more information on CBD, check out our CBD workshop on YouTube!