Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ®)—Patient Version - National Cancer Institute

Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ®)—Patient Version - National Cancer Institute

Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ®)–Patient Version

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• Overview
• Questions and Answers About Cannabis
• Current Clinical Trials
• About This PDQ Summary
• General CAM Information
• Evaluation of CAM Therapies
• Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider About CAM
• To Learn More About CAM
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Overview

• Cannabis , also known as marijuana, is a plant grown in many parts of the world which makes a resin with compounds called cannabinoids (see Question 1).
• By federal law, possessing Cannabis is illegal in the United States outside of approved research settings. However, a growing number of states, territories, and the District of Columbia have passed laws to legalize medical marijuana (see Question 1).
• Cannabinoids are chemicals in Cannabis that cause drug -like effects throughout the body, including the central nervous system and the immune system (see Question 2).
• The main psychoactive cannabinoid in Cannabis is delta-9-THC. Another active cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD), which may relieve pain, lower inflammation, and decrease anxiety without causing the "high" of delta-9-THC (see Question 2).
• Cannabinoids can be taken by mouth, inhaled, or sprayed under the tongue (see Question 4).
• Cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied for relief of pain, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, and loss of appetite caused by cancer or the side effects of cancer therapies (see Question 6).
• Two cannabinoid drugs (dronabinol and nabilone) are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention or treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy(see Question 6 and Question 8).
• The FDA has not approved Cannabis or cannabinoids for use as a cancer treatment (see Question 8).

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Questions and Answers About Cannabis

• Updated: January 17, 2019