Cannabinoid Medicine and Neuroblastoma: A New Frontier in Pediatric Cancer Therapy
As always, my mission in cannabinoid medicine is to share the potential therapeutic benefits that cannabinoids offer — not just for overall wellness, but also in the treatment of complex disease states. In March 2025, a new cannabinoid was discovered: cannabielsoxa. You’ll definitely want to hear about this — early research shows this compound, along with several others, demonstrates the ability to inhibit tumor growth in neuroblastoma (2).
Cannabinoids hold enormous therapeutic promise for cancer patients, largely due to their anti-cancer effects via multiple receptors, ligands, and signaling pathways involved in cancer progression (2). This isn’t just about symptom relief — it’s about potentially altering the course of the disease itself.
There is a long-documented history of anti-cancer properties associated with cannabinoids. Yet, unfortunately, this information is often overlooked or dismissed by mainstream medicine. Cannabinoids such as CBD, THC, CBC, CBG, CBN, THCa, CBDV, and CBDa are known for their high antioxidant content and a range of properties — anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsive, antipsychotic, antifungal, anticancer, antidepressant, antiarrhythmic, analgesic, antibiotic, and immunomodulatory (1).
Cannabinoids have demonstrated efficacy across various cancer types: glioma, breast, colorectal, leukemia, prostate, lung, and blood cancers (2). And now, with cannabielsoxa, the research into neuroblastoma is gaining momentum.
A recent study found that cannabielsoxa, along with 132-hydroxypheophorbide c ethyl ester and six other cannabinoids — CBDA, CBDA methyl ester, CBD, Δ8-THC, cannabichromene, and dihydroxy-CBD — exhibited anti-tumor effects against SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells (2). The compounds inhibited cell viability at concentrations as low as 5 μM to 10 μM, a promising threshold for potential therapeutic application. Interestingly, cannabinoids with double bonds in the hexane ring demonstrated stronger inhibitory activity, suggesting that subtle structural differences may significantly impact anticancer potential.
Neuroblastoma develops from neuroblasts, which are immature nerve cells that are part of the sympathetic nervous system. This cancer is often diagnosed before the age of 5 and can be low risk or high risk depending on the stage that it is caught. This is why it's essential we explore every viable treatment option, including cannabinoid therapy when it comes to cancer, more specifically neuroblastoma. As a parent, I would want access to every possible modality — especially those with promising evidence like the combination of cannabinoids listed above from this particular study.
It’s time we share this research, especially with parents whose children are fighting neuroblastoma. Our current treatments may lag behind the breakthroughs emerging in cannabinoid science. We must work together, staying informed and pushing for innovation that puts our children's survival at the forefront.
Together, we can stand for the health of our children. And I will continue to fight for that every single day. As future studies unfold, I hope cannabinoid therapy becomes a standard consideration in the treatment of pediatric cancers like neuroblastoma. Our children deserve that chance.
Bee Well,
Brandon Farless
References
1. Seltzer, E. S., Watters, A. K., MacKenzie, D., Jr, Granat, L. M., & Zhang, D. (2020). Cannabidiol (CBD) as a Promising Anti-Cancer Drug. Cancers, 12(11), 3203. https://doi.org/10.3390/
2. Nguyen, T.-Q., Park, H.-S., Choi, S.-H., Hong, D.-Y., Cheon, J.-Y., Lee, Y.-M., Kim, C.-M., Hong, J.-K., Oh, S.-J., Cho, M.-S., Kim, J.-H., Lee, E.-S., Seo, J., & Jung, H.-J. (2025, April 3). New cannabinoids and chlorin-type metabolites from the flowers of Cannabis Sativa L.: A study on their neuroblastoma activity. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-
