The mainstream allopathic model of oncology care has historically failed to address the power of cannabis for palliation, but this is beginning to change as we move toward earlier palliation for patients. The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) (2014) acknowledged that nurses must understand the evidence base of medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids to treat patients who suffer from cancer, HIV, and cachexia. Furthermore, HPNA stated that hospice and palliative nurses should be providing their patients with information, evidence-based resources, and education on the use of cannabis to manage their symptoms. Of course, the issue of educating folks around cannabis has some complexity, related directly to cannabis prohibition and the difficulty with researching cannabis as a cancer treatment and palliation option due to Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) schedule issues; this is more true in the states where medical or recreational use remains prohibited.
Preclinical evidence has suggested that cannabinoids, in addition to palliation, enhance the anti-tumor activity of allopathic chemotherapeutic agents and decrease associated side effects, so the addition of cannabinoid-based preparations to standard cancer therapy should not be discouraged by treating oncologists (Abrams & Guzman, 2015). Cannabis nurses are likely aware that animal studies show that cannabis holds great hope and promise for treating many types of cancer, from skin cancers to lymphomas and neoblastomas. We are also aware that cannabis can be used to support successful palliation for cancer patients regardless of the types of treatment they pursue (Hall, Christie, & Currow, 2005). One of the primary responsibilities of cannabis nurses must be the empowerment of other nurses and providers, expanding the knowledge base of how cannabis supports not only cancer treatment but also, more specifically, palliation during oncological treatments. With the current concern about opioid use and addiction, even in palliation scenarios, cannabis may be a medicine of the future for supporting patients through serious medical crises.
Source: Pacific college of Health and Science
