Over the past couple of years, cannabis has grown increasingly popular as more states pass legislation to allow either medical marijuana or recreational cannabis. With advocates across the country advocating for state measures and lawmakers discussing federal decriminalization, cannabis has come a long way from the days of prohibition.
As it has slowly shed its unfounded reputation as a destructive drug, cannabis has interestingly moved into the health and wellness space thanks to a diverse range of purported health benefits. By May 2018, more than 3.5 million registered medical marijuana patients existed across the country, with countless more using recreational marijuana to try and alleviate their health issues.
However, despite cannabis’ popularity as a medical alternative, most scientists caution that the hype has far outpaced the science. While marijuana definitely has medical potential, using it as an alternative to pharmaceuticals, especially without the knowledge and permission of a doctor, can be quite dangerous. According to recently published research, such a situation is unfolding in America among individuals suffering from breast cancer. The study, which was published in “Cancer,” an American Cancer Society peer-reviewed journal, found that nearly half of American adults suffering from breast cancer use marijuana alongside their treatment to manage side effects and symptoms.
Various types of cancer and their treatments often cause pain, fatigue, insomnia, nausea and other health issues. Although studies have found that cannabis can indeed alleviate issues such as chronic pain, lack of appetite and insomnia, many physicians are not comfortable discussing it as a treatment option due to the limited knowledge on cannabis’ risks and benefits.
To find the rate of cannabis use among breast cancer patients, the researchers conducted an online survey of 612 participants. An estimated 42% of respondents said they had used cannabis to treat symptoms such as pain, insomnia, anxiety, nausea and vomiting with 75% of those who used cannabis reporting that it was extremely or very helpful.
Disturbingly, 49% of the participants who used marijuana believed medical cannabis could treat cancer, a claim that is still unproven by scientists. Almost 80% of the cannabis users had taken cannabis while undergoing other treatments such as surgery, radiation and systemic therapies. Half of those patients had looked for information on medical cannabis with websites and other patients being the most popular sources of information and physicians being the least popular. Most of the respondents were not satisfied with the information they received on medical cannabis. Furthermore, participants used cannabis products of varying quality and purity, mistakenly assuming that the products were safe and tested.
The researchers concluded that health providers ought to initiate informed conversations about medical marijuana with their patients. The fact that cancer patients are using cannabis without their doctors’ knowledge is a “major blind spot” in ability of health-care providers to provide suitable care, the researchers say. Initiating informed conversations will allow doctors to properly manage the symptoms and side effects of cancer and cancer treatment while minimizing potential side effects and treatment interactions.
The findings that plenty of women are using marijuana alongside their prescription medications seems to reaffirm how much the public has come to trust medicinal cannabis products such as those made by companies such Hero Technologies Inc. (OTC: HENC).
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Hero Technologies Inc. (OTC: HENC) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/HENC
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