(Photo credit: Craig Barker Photography).
Nearly 90% of cancer patients who used marijuana reported improvements in insomnia, while more than 80% reported relief from appetite problems, mood disturbances, anxiety and cancer-related pain, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Penn State University.
The study, published this week in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer, surveyed 186 adult cancer patients and survivors receiving care at the Penn State Cancer Institute. Researchers examined marijuana use, perceived symptom relief and differences between patients living in rural and urban or suburban communities.
Among those surveyed, 26.1% reported using marijuana since their cancer diagnosis, including 20.1% who were current users. Participants who used marijuana reported improvements across seven of the 11 cancer-related symptoms examined.
Insomnia showed the highest reported improvement rate at 89.7%, followed by appetite at 85.7%, mood at 83.8%, joint pain or stiffness at 83.3%, stress, anxiety or depression at 81.6%, cancer-related pain at 80.7%, and digestive symptoms at 67.9%.
The findings were based on patients’ reported experiences rather than a controlled treatment trial.
Researchers also found that 30.1% of respondents answering questions about past marijuana use reported using it instead of opioids for pain management, while 32% said marijuana helped them reduce or discontinue other medications.
Sleep difficulties were the most common reason patients reported using marijuana, cited by 66.7% of users. Another 60.4% reported using it to manage mood, stress, anxiety or depression, while 43.8% cited cancer-related pain.
Nearly 45% of users consumed marijuana almost daily or multiple times per day, and 71.4% obtained their products from state-regulated dispensaries.
The research also examined whether geographic location influenced marijuana use. Nearly half of respondents lived in rural communities, but researchers found no statistically significant difference in marijuana use rates or reported symptom improvements compared with urban and suburban patients.
Attitudes toward marijuana were broadly favorable among participants. Approximately 93% believed marijuana offered potential benefits, while 83.1% were at least somewhat open to using it. Nearly half expressed interest in participating in future marijuana research.
The research was conducted by Jeremy Ireland, Leah Holben, Cheryl L. Thompson, Junjia Zhu, Hyma V. Polimera and Cristina I. Truica, with support from the Penn State Cancer Institute, the Penn State Center for Cannabis and Natural Product Pharmaceuticals, and the National Institutes of Health.
