Cannabidiol and Cancer Survivors: Utilization and Experiences

The benefits and harms of cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis constituent with minimal psychoactive effects, are unknown in cancer populations.

We sought to describe CBD experiences among people currently or recently treated for cancer (survivors).

We conducted a survey eliciting experiences with, and attitudes toward, CBD.

Survivors of 9 different cancers treated at a cancer center completed the survey.

Proportions for each survey item were reported. Bivariate logistic regression models compared survivor characteristics between CBD users and nonusers.

Among 1258 respondents, 18% percent (N = 226) used CBD after cancer diagnosis. Most survivors who used CBD did so to relieve symptoms (90%, 204/226), most commonly pain (55%, 125/226); difficulty sleeping (47%, 107/226); stress, anxiety, or depression (35%, 80/226); and neuropathy (18%, 40/226). Most survivors who used CBD for symptom relief reported improvement, ranging from 60% reporting improvement in neuropathy (24/40) to 85% reporting improvement in energy or fatigue (17/20). Almost half of those who used CBD (104/223, 47%) stopped early, most commonly because it did not help (31/104, 30%). In unadjusted analyses, CBD users were more likely to be young or have brain or gastrointestinal cancer, compared to non-users (p < 0.05 for both).

In a large sample of survivors, about a fifth used CBD, primarily for symptom relief of distress (stress, anxiety, or depression), sleep, pain, and neuropathy, and more than half of survivors reported at least some benefit for each concern. Clinical trials are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CBD with regard to these common symptoms.