Science & Health
1 In 5 Cancer Survivors Use CBD To Treat Symptoms Like Pain, Sleep Problems And Distress, Study Shows
Nearly one in five cancer survivors say they’ve used the cannabis component CBD after getting their diagnosis—primarily to manage pain, sleep difficulties and emotional distress, according to a new study. And more than half of those who used it for specific symptoms reported at least some benefit.
The research, published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, surveyed 1,258 survivors of nine different types of cancer. Among those participants, 226—or 18 percent—reported using CBD after being diagnosed.
Researchers with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center and Mount Sinai Hospital additionally found that 9 in 10 people who use CBD said they consumed the non-intoxicating cannabinoid for symptom relief.
Pain was the most common symptom people said they used CBD to treat (55 percent), followed by difficulty sleeping at 47 percent, stress, anxiety or depression at 35 percent and neuropathy at 18 percent.
“Most survivors who used CBD for symptom relief reported improvement.”
For each of the symptoms, more than half of participants reported at least some improvement after using CBD. That ranged from 60 percent among those treating neuropathy to 85 percent among the smaller group who used CBD for low energy or fatigue.
“About a fifth used CBD,” the authors wrote, “primarily for symptom relief of distress (stress, anxiety, or depression), sleep, pain, and neuropathy, and more than half of survivors reported at least some benefit for each concern.”
By contrast, almost half of people who had used the cannabinoid said they eventually stopped, with the most common explanation being that it did not help them. Researchers said clinical trials are needed to better assess the safety and efficacy of CBD for specific symptoms experienced by cancer survivors.
Younger cancer survivors and people with brain or gastrointestinal cancers were more likely to report CBD use in initial analyses, the study found.
The research adds to a growing body of evidence showing that cancer patients and survivors are using cannabis to manage symptoms.
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For example, another recent study determined that medical marijuana extracts “meaningfully” improve cancer-related symptoms such as sleep difficulties and anxiety—though responses varied among patients depending on personal preferences for individual cannabinoid content of the extracts.
Researchers separately found that components of marijuana show “consistent and statistically significant anti-tumor effects” in certain types of cancer, including glioblastoma and breast cancer. The study also showed that cannabinoids seem to “enhance chemotherapy efficacy.”
Another systemic review concluded that studies “consistently show” that the CBD is a potential “anticancer agent across different cancer types”—and that effect applies to dogs as well as humans.
A similar analysis showed that CBD “holds substantial promise as an anti-tumor agent” in addition to its other anti-inflammatory properties.
Scientists explored CBD’s effect on many types of cancer—including some of the most aggressive ones, such as glioblastoma, which affects the brain. They also noted it can help suppressing the growth and metastasis of other cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian and prostate, among others.
In 2025, a paper published in the journal Pharmacology & Therapeutics, assessed a range of clinical and preclinical findings that the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs can be enhanced by medical marijuana.
In a sign of greater acceptance of medical applications of cannabis, President Donald Trump’s choice to serve as the next White House drug czar has called medical marijuana a “fantastic” treatment option for seriously ill patients and said she doesn’t object to legalization, even if she might not personally agree with the policy.
Also last year, a study found that “patients with cancer using cannabis report significant improvements in cancer-related symptoms.”
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
