Cancer is a deadly disease that has long been the top of big discussion in the medical industry as companies search for treatments and a potential cure.
The federal government is now promoting funding opportunities for researchers to study the benefits and risks of marijuana for cancer patients.
In a notice of special interest posted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) last week, the agency said that about one in four cancer patients have reported using cannabis products to manage their symptoms but “research about their health effects, including potential harms and benefits, remain limited.”
According to NIH’s National Cancer Institute, the purpose of the solicitation is to “promote research in understanding the mechanisms by which cannabis and cannabinoids affect cancer biology, cancer interception, cancer treatment and resistance, and management of cancer symptoms.”
It provided an overview of the existing research into the relationship between marijuana and cancer, as well as a list of eight areas of interest that the agency is asking researchers to investigate.
The NIH said that the current body of epidemiological studies on this topic has “yielded limited and inconsistent results.”
The agency said “studies of other cancer types have shown no or inconsistent association with cannabis use, but these data are limited.”
The compounds in marijuana affect the endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in modulating “many cancer relevant processes, such as cell proliferation, motility and survival,” the notice also reads.
“Cancer cell line experiments show that THC and CBD can mediate many anti-tumor effects, including inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis,” it continues. “These anti-tumor activities have led to early clinical testing of THC and CBD for glioblastoma and prostate cancers.”
