I have several years of experience in hospice and have seen many people experience pain, anxiety, depression and other harsh symptoms that take away from a peaceful death. Pharmaceuticals are usually prescribed and may or may not be effective and some come with side effects that can be worse than the symptoms. With this said, I have often wondered about the use of cannabidiol or CBD for end-of-life care.
I researched my curiosity and found studies that support the use of CBD for multiple symptoms experienced during the end of life including nausea, sleeplessness, depression and anxiety. A group of researchers claim that CBD is effective because it has very diverse pharmacological activity and treats the endocannabinoid system at multiple points throughout the body and brain.
Another research team in the Journal of Clinical Nursing claims that CBD can improve the person’s quality of life throughout the dying process. Canadian researchers believe that CBD may not just be effective for physical issues, but may help with the emotional side of end of life and promote improved well-being.
The use of CBD may become more mainstream and acceptable as more research supports its use for various physical and emotional problems experienced at the end of life. Integrative medicine, for example, combines traditional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies including botanicals and cannabinoids in the treatment of many medical conditions. Perhaps clinicians will one day embrace the use of CBD as an add-on treatment for people receiving end-of-life care.