CBD and Brain Tumors

CBD, also known as Cannabidiol, is a chemical compound (cannabinoid) found within the Cannabis plant. It has been used for thousands of years to heal many different health problems such as chronic pain and inflammation, seizures, anxiety, depression, and even immune system disorders. A new benefit that lacks substantive research but shows promise, is CBD’s anti-cancer properties. Along with a variety of other benefits, health officials have explored the possibility of using CBD as a supplementary option for patients with brain tumors.

Is CBD harmful?

Though a compound within the Cannabis plant, CBD is a chemical component that does not possess any psychoactive properties. This means that you won’t have the feeling of being “high”, or intoxicated; on the contrary, THC is the chemical compound of the plant that causes consumers to feel foggy and inebriated after use. Additionally, CBD products are extracted from the hemp plant, which is a member of the Cannabis plant family but differs in that it contains less than 0.3% THC. This means that when the CBD is extracted, you are getting all of the health benefits without any negative side effects.

Can CBD help with brain tumors?

Various studies have been conducted on animals as opposed to humans, due to the legality surrounding Cannabis and Cannabis byproducts such as CBD. Nonetheless, some of these studies have shown promising results that CBD can both stunt the growth of cancer cells and prevent them from proliferating, specifically in brain cancer patients.

Pre-clinical trials have revealed that the changes occur on a molecular level. In these instances, the CBD oil has been administered at varying doses, depending on what was selected by the physician. The CBD was able to effectively stunt the growth of brain cancer cells by disrupting the lipoxygenase pathway, which stops angiogenesis (blood supply to the cells). It also modulated the endocannabinoid system which house cannabinoid receptors located in the brain and the immune system; this triggered oxidative stress and apoptosis, or cell death, which is normally a bad thing but was a very good thing in this case because it killed the cancer cells.

Though there must be many more studies and trials conducted on human subjects before there is evidence that is conclusive enough to deem CBD a certified anti-cancer drug, the results are clear. CBD is an excellent treatment option for those who are not only living with brain tumors but for the side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea. More needs to be done to help spread the knowledge of how beneficial CBD is for cancer patients.