Cannabis and Its Medical Uses. By Nicola Forcier. Originally posted: Jul 23, 2019 · 3 min read

⚠️ Disclaimer: This blog reflects personal opinions and lived experience. It is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified medical professional before making any decisions regarding your health or treatment options.

Many countries are still apprehensive about using cannabis for medical purposes due to a lack of large-scale, convincing studies. However, when you ask individuals with conditions like fibromyalgia whether high-THC cannabis helps with their pain, many respond with a resounding yes.

Relief from chronic pain often has significant psychological benefits. Mood improves. Hope returns. And even the placebo effect can offer a meaningful sense of improvement.

In my own experience, my husband had stage 4 adenocarcinoma — HER2-positive esophageal cancer — located 30 mm from his eye teeth. After choking on water for months, he began swallowing solid food again within eight days of starting homemade cannabis oil. During that time, bone broth and soda water had been his only comforts.

There is so much reason to hope. Often, when oncology teams declare a patient hospice-bound — meaning their treatments have run their course — cannabis becomes the one last hope. If a person is willing and able to try it, it can provide real support.

This subject is deeply personal to me, and I remain committed to learning more. I’ve been fortunate to take courses supported by Technion and others, offering meta-analysis and real-world data. I study the statistics, the science, and the human stories — and I also acknowledge: cannabis is not for everyone.

Important Considerations:

• Pregnant individuals should not use cannabis.

• Driving or operating machinery while intoxicated is unsafe and illegal in many jurisdictions.

• Tolerance, age, and mental health history all play significant roles in cannabis response.

One challenge in cannabis research is finding enough people who have never used it, which makes double-blind studies difficult. Yet many who have turned to cannabis after exhausting conventional treatments — especially for pain, neuropathy, or PTSD — report meaningful improvements.

Caution is key for those with potential mental health vulnerabilities. Different strains (Indica, Sativa, Hybrid) can have widely varying effects.

What we do know: when cannabis helps calm the gut, a person can feel hunger again. When side effects of chemo are eased, that person may be able to eat — and with food comes strength, nutrients, and immune support.

That said, not all young people respond well — in cases like seizures or autism, outcomes can vary. We need more rigorous research to ensure safety and efficacy across all populations.

In contrast, some older adults may prefer cannabis over morphine in end-of-life care — choosing clarity over sedation. It’s a personal choice and a deeply human one.

I believe cannabis is a gift — and I hope it finds a respected place within modern healthcare systems worldwide.

Thank you, Technion, for advancing this vital research.

— Nicola Forcier