False: Cannabis oil can cure cancer.

By: Gayathri Loka
October 26 2021

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Cannabis is a plant used for recreational or medical purposes. Two main components of cannabis are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). There is a debate on whether CBD can be used for medical purposes to cure cancer and/or other diseases. Some Facebook posts claim that using CBD has saved cancer patients' lives and help extend the life span of a person dying prematurely due to the disease. However, there is no evidence that CBD can cure cancer. The National Cancer Institute published information about the use of cannabis and CBD's components as a treatment for people with cancer-related symptoms caused by the disease itself or its treatment. Clinical trials related to the medical use of CBD are limited in the U.S. CBD may be used to treat side effects of cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of cannabis as a treatment for any medical condition. However, both isolated THC and CBD pharmaceuticals are licensed and approved. According to Cancer Research U.K., CBD may relieve pain, lower inflammation, and decrease anxiety without the psychoactive "high" effect of THC. There is no evidence that CBD can cure cancer. As Macmillan Cancer Support has reported, "some studies show that using cannabis may help reduce the risk of developing cancer. But there are also studies that show it increases the risk of cancer." The American Association for Cancer Research published a review about the use of cannabis to treat cancer. The review looked over the various effects of using CBD to treat different forms of cancer. The review concluded by saying that CBD was successful in treating side effects of the disease like pain and nausea. However, the review stated that "very little is known about the mechanism of action of cannabinoids. There is need for further in-depth studies to elucidate the precise mechanism of cannabinoid action in cancer cells."