Despite there not being any approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support medical cannabis' use as a cancer treatment, several studies, including a recent survey presented at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, have shown that a significant number of breast cancer patients across the United States are using medical cannabis to help cope with symptoms and during treatments like surgeries and radiation. Of the 42% of participants who acknowledged using medical cannabis for symptom relief, 78% were using it for pain relief, 70% for insomnia, 57% for anxiety, 51% for stress, and 46% for nausea. Despite more breast cancer patients switching to medical cannabis to help deal with pain and nausea, there is still a significant number of states across the US that either allow one of each (THC or CBD) or outright prohibit both recreational and medicinal use of cannabis. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of April 2023, 38 states, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia allow the use of medical cannabis and its products.
