CAPhO Connections Podcast - Episode 22 with Marie Parish

Author/Presenter
Marie Parish
Category
Podcast
Year Created
2025
Details

The Highs, the Lows, and the Evidence: Navigating Cannabis in Cancer Care

Cannabis use among cancer patients is rapidly expanding in both popularity and complexity, creating exciting challenges and opportunities for oncology pharmacists. From understanding a growing variety of product types to interpreting evolving clinical evidence on symptom relief, drug interactions, and treatment outcomes, pharmacists are essential in ensuring safe, personalized patient care. In this episode, we reveal practical insights to empower oncology pharmacists in assessing, counseling, and monitoring patients using cannabis. Discover how this emerging therapy is reshaping oncology practice and could become a game changer!

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain the rising use of recreational and medicinal cannabis among cancer patients.
  • Recognize the diverse variety of cannabis product types and their relevance to oncology symptom management.
  • Assess the potential impacts of cannabis on cancer treatments, including drug-drug and drug-disease interactions, safety, and therapeutic outcomes.
  • Summarize current available evidence and data for cannabis use in managing oncology-related symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and pain.
  • Explore practical approaches for oncology pharmacists to evaluate, counsel, and monitor patients using or inquiring.

About the Author: Marie Parish

Marie Parish is a clinical oncology pharmacist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN specializing in pancreatic and hepatobiliary malignancies. She has a special interest in supportive care and psychoactive pharmaceuticals within the oncology space, conducts research on cannabis in oncology, and speaks nationally on integrative approaches to cancer care.

Marie Parish

Resources

  1. Bar-Sela G et al. Cannabis Consumption Used by Cancer Patients During Immunotherapy Correlates with Poor Clinical Outcome. Cancers 12:2447, 2020.
  2. Grimison P, et al. Oral THC:CBD Cannabis Extract for Refractory Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase IICrossover Trial. Ann Oncol. 2020 Nov;31(11):1553-1560. Bar-Lev Schleider L, et al. Prospective Analysis of Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis in Large Unselected Population of Patients with Cancer. Euro J of Int Med. 2018 Mar;49:37-43.
  3. Khoj L, et al. Effects of Cannabis Smoking on the Respiratory System: A State-of-the-Art Review. Respir Med. 2024 Jan;221:107494.
  4. Lopera V, Rodríguez A, Amariles P. Clinical Relevance of Drug Interactions with Cannabis: A Systematic Review. J Clin Med. 2022 Feb 22;11(5):1154
  5. Sauer MA et al. Marijuana: Interaction with the Estrogen Receptor. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 224:404-407, 1983.
  6. Taha T et al. Cannabis Impacts Tumor Response Rate to Nivolumab in Patients with Advanced Malignancies. Oncologist 24:549, 2019.
  7. Worster B, Hajjar ER, Handley N. Cannabis Use in Patients With Cancer: A Clinical Review. JCO Oncol Pract. 2022 Nov;18(11):743-749.