Cannabis can significantly improve sleep, alleviate pain and enhance mental clarity in cancer patients, according to a new study by University of Colorado Boulder researchers.
The study was published in the journal Exploration of Medicine last Wednesday and was led by Angela Bryan, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience from the institution who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.
Bryan had been studying cancer prevention for years leading up to her diagnosis and said that doctors were supportive of her decision to use cannabis as a treatment but there currently wasn’t any data available to support her choice.
However, about six years later the small study she led has shown that cannabis can have a beneficial impact on those suffering from cancer in multiple ways.
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The study focused on dispensary product usage rather than medical cannabis
Bryan conducted the study in collaboration with two other doctors from the CU Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. The study aimed to observe the effects of cannabis on 25 cancer patients over a two-week period who were assessed for their pain levels, sleep patterns and cognition.
“When you’re in a lot of pain, it’s hard to think. We found that when patients’ pain levels came down after using cannabis for a while, their cognition got better,” said Bryan.
After two weeks of using cannabis products selected from a dispensary, the participants reported significant improvements in their sleep, level of pain and cognitive function. Notably, those who ingested edibles with high concentrations of CBD reported even greater improvements than those who used other cannabis goods.
“Improvements in sleep quality following sustained cannabis use were observed, with higher CBD use during the two-week ad libitum use period being associated with steeper improvements in sleep quality,” reads the study.
The more the cannabis helped alleviate pain, the more the patients’ cognitive function seemed to improve.
“We thought we might see some problems with cognitive function, but people actually felt like they were thinking more clearly. It was a surprise,” said Bryan, adding that chemotherapy and cannabis have previously been known to be associated with impaired thinking.
The study was one of the first of its kind to examine the impact of dispensary-bought cannabis on cancer patients rather than medicinal pot.
The university recently participated in another study this January in partnership with the University of Minnesota examining how cannabis legalization hasn’t caused harm or increased rates of substance abuse in the U.S.
The study found that recreational legalization was linked to decreased rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms.
rowan@mugglehead.com
