“The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons Explained
Cannabis, as a natural medicinal remedy, has long been used for palliative treatment to alleviate the side effects caused by diseases. Cannabis-based products isolated from plant extracts exhibit potent immunoregulatory properties, reducing chronic inflammatory processes and providing much needed pa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceutics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/2/389 |
| _version_ | 1797477215854657536 |
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| author | Mona Khoury Idan Cohen Gil Bar-Sela |
| author_facet | Mona Khoury Idan Cohen Gil Bar-Sela |
| author_sort | Mona Khoury |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cannabis, as a natural medicinal remedy, has long been used for palliative treatment to alleviate the side effects caused by diseases. Cannabis-based products isolated from plant extracts exhibit potent immunoregulatory properties, reducing chronic inflammatory processes and providing much needed pain relief. They are a proven effective solution for treatment-based side effects, easing the resulting symptoms of the disease. However, we discuss the fact that cannabis use may promote the progression of a range of malignancies, interfere with anti-cancer immunotherapy, or increase susceptibility to viral infections and transmission. Most cannabis preparations or isolated active components cause an overall potent immunosuppressive impact among users, posing a considerable hazard to patients with suppressed or compromised immune systems. In this review, current knowledge and perceptions of cannabis or cannabinoids and their impact on various immune-system components will be discussed as the “two sides of the same coin” or “double-edged sword”, referring to something that can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences. We propose that much is still unknown about adverse reactions to its use, and its integration with medical treatment should be conducted cautiously with consideration of the individual patient, effector cells, microenvironment, and the immune system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:14:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ee30ad5e16454736ad949e300b605963 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:14:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ee30ad5e16454736ad949e300b6059632023-11-23T21:38:34ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232022-02-0114238910.3390/pharmaceutics14020389“The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons ExplainedMona Khoury0Idan Cohen1Gil Bar-Sela2Cancer Center, Emek Medical Center, 21 Yitzhak Rabin Blvd, Afula 1834111, IsraelCancer Center, Emek Medical Center, 21 Yitzhak Rabin Blvd, Afula 1834111, IsraelCancer Center, Emek Medical Center, 21 Yitzhak Rabin Blvd, Afula 1834111, IsraelCannabis, as a natural medicinal remedy, has long been used for palliative treatment to alleviate the side effects caused by diseases. Cannabis-based products isolated from plant extracts exhibit potent immunoregulatory properties, reducing chronic inflammatory processes and providing much needed pain relief. They are a proven effective solution for treatment-based side effects, easing the resulting symptoms of the disease. However, we discuss the fact that cannabis use may promote the progression of a range of malignancies, interfere with anti-cancer immunotherapy, or increase susceptibility to viral infections and transmission. Most cannabis preparations or isolated active components cause an overall potent immunosuppressive impact among users, posing a considerable hazard to patients with suppressed or compromised immune systems. In this review, current knowledge and perceptions of cannabis or cannabinoids and their impact on various immune-system components will be discussed as the “two sides of the same coin” or “double-edged sword”, referring to something that can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences. We propose that much is still unknown about adverse reactions to its use, and its integration with medical treatment should be conducted cautiously with consideration of the individual patient, effector cells, microenvironment, and the immune system.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/2/389medical cannabisendocannabinoidsphytocannabinoids |
| spellingShingle | Mona Khoury Idan Cohen Gil Bar-Sela “The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons Explained Pharmaceutics medical cannabis endocannabinoids phytocannabinoids |
| title | “The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons Explained |
| title_full | “The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons Explained |
| title_fullStr | “The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons Explained |
| title_full_unstemmed | “The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons Explained |
| title_short | “The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons Explained |
| title_sort | the two sides of the same coin medical cannabis cannabinoids and immunity pros and cons explained |
| topic | medical cannabis endocannabinoids phytocannabinoids |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/2/389 |
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