Trial reportSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2021
A randomized trial of medical cannabis in patients with stage IV cancers to assess feasibility, dose requirements, impact on pain and opioid use, safety, and overall patient satisfaction.
Trial report in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cannabinoids and opioid consumption in cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Indications of Cannabinoids for the Palliation of Cancer-Associated Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Current oncology reports · 2025Pooled it
- Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Adults With Cancer: ASCO Guideline.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024Guideline
- Cannabis-based medicines and medical cannabis for adults with cancer pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) guidelines: cannabis for psychological symptoms including insomnia, anxiety, and depression.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Pooled it
- Trial
- Study on the Conduction Analysis and Blocking Intervention Scheme of Emotional Disorders between Cancer Patients and Their Families.Computational and mathematical methods in medicine · 2022Trial
- Case Report: Oral and topical chronic administration of THC-rich and CBD-rich cannabis oil as palliative care in a rescued horse with open wound, sarcoid and chronic pain.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026Article
- Cannabis improves metabolic dysfunction and macrophage signatures in obese mice.American journal of physiology. Cell physiology · 2025Article
- Comparative Effects of THC and CBD on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: Insights from a Large Real-World Self-Reported Dataset.Biomedicines · 2025Article
- The Cost Effectiveness of Adjunctive Medical Cannabis Therapy in the Treatment of Moderate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.Clinical drug investigation · 2025Article
- Article
- A cross-sectional survey of the prevalence and patterns of using cannabis as a sleep aid in Canadian cancer survivors.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2025Article
- Measuring the Impact of Medical Cannabis Law Adoption on Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Costs: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis, 2003-2022.Applied health economics and health policy · 2025Article
- Cross-sectional comparison of cannabis use in adults with neuropathic versus non-neuropathic pain.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Association of Financial Wellness with Patterns of Medical Cannabis Use and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adults with Cancer.Cannabis (Albuquerque, N.M.) · 2025Article
- Adverse events associated with the use of cannabis-based products in people living with cancer: a systematic scoping review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Article
- Symptom trajectories over time by cannabis use status among patients undergoing cancer treatment.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Patient out-of-pocket costs for cannabis use during cancer treatment.Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs · 2024Article
- Feasibility of a Randomized, Interventional Pilot Clinical Study of Oral Cannabinoids in People with HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy: CTNPT 028.Journal of personalized medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
13 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe prevalence of medical cannabis (MC) use in patients with cancer is growing, but questions about safety, efficacy, and dosing remain. Conducting randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) using state-sponsored MC programs is novel and could provide data needed to guide patients and providers.
methodsA pilot RCT of patients with stage IV cancer requiring opioids was conducted. Thirty patients were randomized 1:1 to early cannabis (EC, n = 15) versus delayed start cannabis (DC, n = 15). The EC group obtained 3 months (3 M) of MC through a state program at no charge, while the DC group received standard oncology care without MC for the first 3 M. Patients met with licensed pharmacists at one of two MC dispensaries to determine a suggested MC dosing, formulation, and route. Patients completed surveys on pain levels, opioid/MC use, side effects, and overall satisfaction with the study.
resultsInterest in the study was high as 36% of patients who met eligibility criteria ultimately enrolled. The estimated mean daily THC and CBD allotments at 3 M were 34 mg and 17 mg, respectively. A higher proportion of EC patients achieved a reduction in opioid use and improved pain control. No serious safety issues were reported, and patients reported high satisfaction.
conclusionConducting RCTs using a state cannabis program is feasible. The addition of MC to standard oncology care was well-tolerated and may lead to improved pain control and lower opioid requirements. Conducting larger RCTs with MC in state-sponsored programs may guide oncology providers on how to safely and effectively incorporate MC for interested patients.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.