Cannabis has been hailed as a solution to many debilitating conditions and diseases. Research has been patchy at best in the past, partly due to the delay in the relaxation of medicinal marijuana laws across the USA. While more and more states are beginning to allow the use of medicinal marijuana, this has opened up the doors to more in-depth research. Now, the world’s first clinical trial involving cannabis with regards to treating side effects of chemotherapy is being planned.
There has been a lot of anecdotal evidence about the positive effects cannabis can have on relieving nausea caused by chemotherapy. But, this has not been backed up with a clinical trial, meaning the treatment cannot be offered. In Australia, a government funded clinical trial is attempting to rectify this by giving the green light for research on the effects of cannabis for treating and preventing vomiting and nausea for those who require chemotherapy.
The research hopes to provide conclusive scientific evidence, backed up by case studies, which will hopefully allow us to gain an understanding of how cannabis can help relieve sickness and feelings of nausea, which cannot be helped using existing treatment methods.
About the Clinical Trial
The trial is due to be led by renowned Professor Grimisonfrom Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Camperdown. It will also be conducted with the help of Sydney University.
It is intended that the research will be making use of a capsule, to be taken orally. Contained within this capsule, there will be THC and CBD (Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol). The capsule under study was created by a ground breaking medicinal marijuana company Tilray.
It is expected that the very 1st stage of the research will be the enrolment of eighty subjects, who will take part in the study. They will be given the capsule, and the study will note how well or otherwise the subjects feel after using the capsule treatment. If positive results are found, the study would then be extended to incorporate a “double blind randomized” trial using a greater number of patients. Initial estimates suggest that this stage will use around 250 subjects.
The researchers will note down each subject’s symptoms that they experience prior to taking the treatment. Then, they will note whether the treatment produces a positive effect on the patient, or otherwise, and note down any side effects that they experience.
Do you want to be a subject in the trial?
This may not be suitable for every chemotherapy user. Many people respond well to conventional anti-nausea treatments, so this treatment would be targeted towards patents who don’t get relief from nausea from existing treatments. It is thought around 30% of chemotherapy users don’t get relief from nausea through existing treatments.
If you’d like to enrol in the first clinical trial of marijuana for chemotherapy, it is important to ask your assigned Oncologist to see if you meet the criteria.