Is organic marijuana better than conventional cannabis to treat illnesses such as cancer? Today in Canada, there is a growing movement of patients seeking out cannabis for the treatment of their chronic illnesses. Not surprisingly for cancer patients, sourcing organic, pesticide-free cannabis is of utmost importance. The marijuana industry historically relied on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides, but for those using marijuana as medicine, it’s highly likely they’ll want any more harmful toxins entering into their body.
The evidence supporting cannabis for the treatment of cancer is exciting but has yet to go through full clinical trials. The preliminary investigations in Petri dishes and animal studies have discovered that cancer promotes cancer cell death (while protecting healthy cells). It also reduces the ability of cancer cells to metastasize and inhibits their growth. There is current research on marijuana’s effect on many different types of cancer cells, including bladder, brain, breast, colon, lung, prostate, and many more.
For chronic illness, the most effective routes of delivery are the most potent. This usually includes extractions, like Pheonix tears, as well as edibles and suppositories. Typically, cancer patients require quite high doses of cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, to see the most benefit. Hence, why finding products which deliver high cannabinoid content is crucial. For example, vaping may be a good supplemental method of delivery, but it would be impossible to vape the equivalent of a full cancer dose of cannabis oil.
In Canada, where medical marijuana has been legal for a number of years now, growers can have their operations certified organic. This certification guarantees that their cannabis is grown entirely free from toxic chemicals and the operation is in total compliance with Canadian Organic regulations.
Because the legitimate cannabis industry is still in its infancy, many growers used chemicals not fit to grow food up until very recently. Now, marijuana businesses must at the very least grow according to food-safe standards.
It can be much more straightforward, especially for indoor operations, to rely on chemical nutrients and pesticides to produce cannabis. It might even be easier to grow bigger, better buds. But there is a lot to be said about the final quality of an organic crop. Especially if its destined for medicinal purposes, certified organic marijuana is a much safer, cleaner end product.
Increasingly, medicinal cannabis cultivators in Canada are recognizing the need to go organic. As a medicine, there is no need to introduce any lingering toxins from the grow operation into a patient’s body. For patients with their medical card, non-organic conventional weed is easily accessible, and increasingly, so too are organic strains.
Some of the longest established organic growers in Canada are in British Columbia, but they usually ship countrywide. In 2014, Whistler Medical Marijuana became the first certified organic Licensed Producer in Canada. Island Harvest is another, located on Vancouver Island. However, the rest of the country is quickly stepping up, with ABCann and OrganiGram focusing their grows on organic techniques as well.