Combined Therapy for Cancer: Chemo, Cannabis & A Dose of Courage

We often learn about cancer patients who use medical marijuana to curb the pain, nausea and other side effects of chemotherapy only to find that it not only relieved their symptoms, it actually prolonged their lives. We won’t tell you that cannabis “cures” cancer. But some experienced health practitioners are finding anecdotal evidence that, combined with conventional cancer therapies like targeted radiation and chemo, cannabis provides new hope for cancer patients. We have also heard testimony that cannabis has effectively helped to extend and/or improve life for countless end-stage cancer patients who have survived to share their stories – well beyond their life expectancy.

Despite the mounting evidence, we’re a long way from FDA approval of the use of cannabis in treating cancer. While it would seem that federal marijuana law reform is inevitable, it could be years before the DEA de-schedules marijuana or, at least, reschedules it to allow for clinical research, pharmaceutical development and permission for oncologists to prescribe medical marijuana for cancer. So, for now, patients who choose to incorporate cannabis into their cancer treatment must fend for themselves.

Fortunately, there is a growing network of medical practitioners, cultivators and formulators who are independently working with cancer patients to help them determine the best formulations and doses for their conditions. Our guest, Mara Gordon is one such entrepreneur who studies and documents patient outcomes.

Mara Gordon is the co-founder of Calla Spring Wellness, Zelda Therapeutics and Aunt Zelda’s, a California-based cultivators and dispensary organization. With years of research and working with patients, she has developed expertise in the correct use of medical cannabis matched to disease-specific products, and she specializes in the development of cannabis extract treatment protocols for seriously ill patients.