Medical cannabis compounds may help chemotherapy work better—while also making it easier for cancer patients to cope.
A new scientific review suggests that cannabinoids, the active ingredients in medical marijuana, could both boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs and reduce the severe side effects associated with cancer treatment.
Published in the journal Pharmacology & Therapeutics, the 23-page paper draws on a wide body of clinical and laboratory research. Its central claim: pairing cannabinoids with chemotherapy could help patients live longer while suffering less.
The research, led by scientists at the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Rostock University Medical Center in Germany, focuses on a range of cancers including glioblastoma, blood cancers, and breast cancer. The review also touches on other forms, from leukemia and pancreatic cancer to gynecological and skin cancers.
“The available data raise the prospect that cannabinoids may increase the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents while reducing their side effects,” the authors write.
Promising Early Evidence, But More Studies Needed
Much of the paper centers around early-phase clinical trials and lab studies. One highlight is a 2021 Phase 1b study in which patients given a THC–CBD oral spray alongside temozolomide, a chemotherapy drug, lived longer than those given the drug alone.
While preclinical evidence shows that cannabinoids can be toxic to cancer cells, scientists are still working to understand how these compounds affect tumor growth, blood vessel formation, and metastasis.
The review underlines two key benefits that cannabinoids may offer when combined with chemotherapy:
- Enhanced drug efficacy – potentially helping the body overcome resistance to treatment.
- Reduction in side effects – particularly nausea, but also other complications like nerve pain (CIPN), kidney and heart toxicity, bladder inflammation, and mouth sores.
Cannabis is already widely used to manage chronic pain and chemotherapy-related nausea. This paper expands the discussion to include its potential role in fighting cancer itself.
Still More Questions Than Answers
Despite the hopeful tone, the researchers urge caution. The interaction between cannabinoids and cancer drugs is highly complex and remains poorly understood.
There is limited knowledge about how different routes of administration—such as smoking versus oral sprays—affect these interactions. The review also calls for rigorous clinical trials to explore any negative or unexpected drug interactions.
“It is also possible that cannabinoids trigger yet unknown interactions that benefit the patient,” the study notes.
The researchers emphasize that cannabis research is still in its early days, despite the plant’s long cultural history. The discovery of the endocannabinoid system in the 1990s only recently opened the door to systematic studies on how cannabis works in the human body.
The Takeaway
Medical marijuana may do more than ease pain and nausea—it could play a supporting role in cancer treatment itself. But before it can become part of standard oncology care, well-controlled human trials are essential to confirm safety, dosage, and efficacy.
As cannabis moves further into the medical mainstream, studies like this provide a blueprint for its potential as a powerful ally in the fight against cancer.
Explore More Medical Cannabis Research
For more insights into the growing role of cannabis in modern medicine, read our latest coverage:
- Medical Cannabis Found Effective for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, New Study Reveals
- CBD May Improve Memory in Alzheimer’s Patients, Study Suggests
- Germany’s Medical Cannabis Market Booms After Healthcare Reform
