A 2023 research study conducted by University of Colorado Cancer Center member Angela Bryan, PhD, found that over-the-counter cannabis products helped cancer patients cope with issues like pain, anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression, and improved their cognitive function as well.
Building on her previous research and looking for more detailed data on cannabis’ effectiveness for cancer patients, Bryan — herself a former breast cancer patient who used cannabis to control her pain throughout her treatment — has secured a prestigious R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute to conduct a double-blind, randomized controlled trial to see if hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) has similarly beneficial effects.
Unlike the 2023 study, which gave participants information about THC and CBD and then asked participants to choose any cannabis edible product they liked from their local dispensary, the new study will provide the product directly to the participants. Participants will be randomized to one of three products — full-spectrum CBD, which contains a small amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive part of the cannabis plant; broad-spectrum CBD, which contains no THC; or a placebo. (Though cannabis is still a Schedule 1 drug, hemp-derived CBD is legal on the federal level.)
We sat down with Bryan to find out more about the study and what she hopes to discover.