Cannabinoids have emerged as valuable agents in cancer therapy, demonstrating significant palliative effects in managing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, pain, and loss of appetite. 

Beyond symptom relief, cannabinoids exhibit promising anti-tumor actions by modulating intracellular signaling pathways involved in cancer progression. Initial findings suggest that Δ9-THC inhibits the growth of lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and murine models post-oral administration, directly inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. 

Moreover, cannabinoids interfere with processes like angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. 

Multiple studies across various cancer cell lines and animal tumour models support these findings.

Endocannabinoids like N-arachidonoyl ethanolamine-anandamide have shown anti-proliferative effects against other carcinomas by downregulating the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor and increasing ceramide production.
 

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Phytocannabinoids like Δ9-THC have been found to reduce tumor proliferation, inhibit angiogenesis, and induce apoptosis in breast cancer models. 

Non-psychoactive cannabinoids like cannabidiol, constituting up to 40% of cannabis extracts, exhibit pharmacological effects without causing undesirable psychoactive side effects, presenting a favorable risk–benefit profile. Cannabinoid agonists bind to canonical cannabinoid receptors 1 or cannabinoid receptors 2, modulating cancer-related pathways and inducing cell death.

Additionally, cannabinoids can act through other receptors or can be receptor-independent, inhibiting pathways like PI3K-Akt and activating MAPK pathways, resulting in apoptotic death.

Cannabinoids also induce the synthesis of ceramide, which activates an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related signalling pathway, leading to cell death by autophagy. 
Furthermore, cannabinoids exert anti-angiogenesis effects by blocking the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway and demonstrate anti-invasiveness and anti-metastasis actions.

With abundant scientific literature supporting cannabinoids’ anti-cancer properties, there is a pressing need for more clinical studies to be pushed forwards and whilst we await these it's up to us to research and learn.