Science & Health
Medical Marijuana Improves Cancer-Related Symptoms And Helps Reduce Use Of Opioids, Federally Funded Study Shows
A new federally funded study shows that “most cannabis users reported that it improved their cancer-related symptoms”—including pain, appetite, mood and insomnia—while also serving as a substitute for opioids for nearly a third of them.
Researchers with the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Penn State Cancer Institute and Fox Chase Cancer Center surveyed 186 patients, about a quarter of whom (26 percent) had used cannabis since their diagnosis.
“A majority of users reported improvement in most cancer-related symptoms assessed, highlighting its potential role in cancer symptom management,” the study, published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer, found. “Symptom improvement was reported for insomnia (89.7% of users), appetite (85.7%), mood (83.7%), joint pains/stiffness (83.3%), stress/anxiety/depression (81.6%), cancer-related pain (80.7%) and digestive symptoms (67.9%).”
A minority of patients saw improvements in other cancer-related symptoms, including fatigue/lack of energy (49 percent), sexual interest (42 percent) and sweating/hot flashes (28 percent).
The study also found that cancer patients in the sample “commonly used cannabis as an alternative to opioids for pain management,” which the researchers said “supports existing evidence suggesting that many patients prefer cannabis over opioids due to fewer side effects and better symptom control.”
“30.1% reported using cannabis instead of opioids to manage pain, and 32.0% reported that cannabis helped them decrease or stop other medications.”
While one aim of the research—which was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences—was to investigate whether there would be differences in marijuana use between patients who live in urban, suburban and rural areas, it turned out that there were “broadly similar cannabis attitudes and rates of use” regardless of geography.
Overall, the study found that “cannabis use was relatively common among our sample of cancer patients, who held generally favorable attitudes towards its use, with most cannabis users reporting symptom relief across a majority of cancer-related symptoms assessed.”
“These findings point to the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis among cancer populations.”
Patients in the study “generally viewed cannabis as safe and beneficial,” it said, with 93 percent believing there are medical benefits and only 3 percent considering it to be unsafe. That said, 77 percent of participants voiced concerns about risks—particularly related to legal, professional and social consequences.
The researchers cautioned that the study has some limitations, including its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-report data, as well as the fact that they did not differentiate cannabinoid content, dosage or route of administration of the marijuana products that patients were using.
The new paper is the latest to latest to show that medical marijuana can provide relief for people struggling with cancer.
For example, a recent study found that medical marijuana is “commonly” used to treat symptoms of cancer such as pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, poor appetite and sleep disturbance—and 80 percent of patients report that it provides relief and improved quality of life.
A recent federally funded study found that “cannabis use conferred therapeutic benefits for several health issues commonly encountered by cancer patients“—including “pain relief, improved sleep, physical relaxation, emotional regulation, and reduction of concomitant medication.”
Another recent study conducted by Minnesota state officials found that medical marijuana appears to help cancer patients by decreasing pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety and depression while also improving sleep.
A separate study found that nearly one in five cancer survivors say they’ve used CBD after getting their diagnosis—primarily to manage pain, sleep difficulties and emotional distress. And more than half of those who used it for specific symptoms reported at least some benefit.
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 Mike Latimer.
