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Abstract
Cannabis: Medical use and Toxicity
Pattama Ploysawang, Weerawut Imsamran, Suleeporn Sangrajrang*
National Cancer Institute, Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok 10400,
Thailand.
*Coresponding author: suleesa@yahoo.com
Cancer is a leading cause of death in Thai population and has a big socio-economic impact
of the country. Cancer is a complex disease that is very variable in its presentation, development
and outcomes from one patient to the other. With advanced in new technology, many cancer can
be cured. However, discovery and development research for new drug still need in order to find
new substances that have better outcomes for treatment, or to be used as complementary and
alternative medicine. Among these, cannabinoids and it derivatives have been proposed for drug
development. The article aims to update the current knowledge and evidence of using cannabis
for medical use, particularly for treatment of cancer. Many studies of cannabis and its derivatives
showed potential antitumor activities both in vitro and in vivo. However, clinical trials in cancer
are limited. In conclusion, there is no evidence using of cannabis for cancer treatment. Further
clinical studies are needed including on pros and cons issues. Nevertheless, the results of current
studies show important information for medical use of cannabis and its possible developments
for cancer treatment.

Key words: cannabis, Cannabis sativa L., medical use, cancer