As summer’s warmth fades into the golden hues of autumn, we are reminded of life’s natural rhythms—of harvest, release, and transition. For some, this season marks a journey of healing and renewal; for others, it signifies the final chapter of life, approaching the threshold of what lies beyond. In these deeply tender moments, cannabinoids can offer more than just symptom relief. They bring comfort, presence, and dignity, easing the weight of pain, nausea, and anxiety while creating space for connection and peace. This blog explores how plant medicine can serve as a compassionate companion during the sacred season of letting go, honoring the unity of mind, body, and spirit as we support those nearing life’s end.
The Compassionate Role of Cannabinoids in End-of-Life Care
As a cannabis nurse health coach—and a former palliative care and hospice nurse— Nurse Sherri has had the profound honor of guiding patients and families through some of life’s most sacred moments. In these spaces, she has seen how plant medicines can ease suffering, bring peace, preserve dignity, and even create moments of joy in the final chapter of life.
A Patient’s Turning Point
In 2017, Nurse Sherri worked with her first hospice patient using medical cannabis alongside conventional care. He was a middle-aged man with Stage IV lung cancer. Despite taking over 100 mg of morphine daily, his pain was relentless. He relied on a tracheostomy, a feeding tube, and was severely cachectic (not eating). Desperate for a better solution, he sought out relief from medical cannabis.
A group of compassionate caregivers came together to donate high-dose THC Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO). Nurse Sherri, a dedicated Cannabis Nurse Health Coach, spent 90 minutes guiding him, his hospice nurse, and his social worker on its safe and effective use and sat with him while he took his first dose. Then, something extraordinary happened. Within an hour of taking his 1st dose of oil, his eyes welled with tears, and a radiant smile spread across his face in relief. For the first time in days, he reached for an Ensure and fed himself—a powerful moment of relief, hope, and renewed strength.
Over the following two weeks, with careful twice-daily dosing, his pain eased significantly, allowing him to invite friends and family into his home to say their goodbyes. He passed away peacefully, with his dignity preserved. Later, his sister expressed how much it meant to the family that his final days were free from the suffering they had so greatly feared. This experience deeply reaffirmed Nurse Sherri’s belief in the transformative potential of cannabinoids in end-of-life care.
Why Cannabinoids Belong in Palliative Care
Palliative and hospice care aim to relieve pain, reduce distress, and improve quality of life. Cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, THCA, and CBDA can address multiple symptoms at once—pain, nausea, anxiety, and insomnia—while helping patients remain clear-minded and connected. Unlike opioids, which can cause sedation, confusion, constipation, and respiratory depression, cannabis often provides relief with fewer side effects (Mücke et al., 2018). It offers patients options, restoring a sense of control when so much else feels beyond their power.
Restoring Control and Dignity
One of the most challenging aspects of the dying process is the loss of autonomy. Cannabis and Hemp CBD empower patients to take a more active role in their care by offering a variety of dosing options, including tinctures, oils, topicals, softgels, edibles, and inhalation. Patients can also adjust their doses to prioritize comfort. In hospice care, cannabis use is often associated with improved appetite, mood, and sleep, enabling patients to make their final days more self-directed and meaningful (Barakji et al., 2023).
Cannabis Nurses are essential in providing compassionate end-of-life care, particularly when cannabinoids are used as medicine. We assess each patient’s unique needs, guide the safe and effective use of various treatments, and ensure care aligns with their values and preferences. Our focus is on education and empowerment, equipping patients and their families with the knowledge to make informed decisions in collaboration with their healthcare teams.
Supporting the Whole Person
End-of-life care is more than symptom control—it’s emotional and spiritual support. Cannabis can foster connection, ease existential distress, and complement rituals of reflection and closure (Miller, 2022).
In some settings, Cannabis Nurses work alongside chaplains, therapists, and families to integrate cannabis into personalized end-of-life rituals—helping patients find meaning, comfort, and peace. We can do this for your loved ones.
The Path Forward
Cannabis in palliative care is no longer just a possibility—it’s an ethical imperative. By combining evidence-based practice with compassionate presence, Cannabis Nurses help ensure the final chapter of life is as comfortable and dignified as possible. From easing intractable pain to facilitating heartfelt goodbyes, cannabinoids can make the difference between a death marked by suffering and one filled with peace, connection, and respect.
Want to Learn More or Get Support?
Holistic Caring & The Green Nurse provide education, coaching, and consulting in cannabinoid therapeutics, supporting compassionate care in palliative and hospice settings. Bloom Hemp CBD, our Green Nurse Approved partner, offers USDA Organic, doctor- and nurse-formulated, symptom-targeted products—with a free nurse line and emailed care plans tailored to your needs.
The Cancer Playbook
Holistic Caring & The Green Nurse is collaborating with The Cancer Playbook, powered by the Whole Health Oncology Institute. Together, we’re blending our experience in cannabis therapeutics, education, and personalized coaching with the Playbook’s whole-person approach to cancer support. As registered nurses and cannabis nurse health coaches, both Elisabeth and Sherri are honored to contribute to the Cancer Playbook Committee, help shape patient resources, and host a monthly support group in our private Holistic Caring Network to support those navigating cancer. Stay tuned for the Cancer Playbook Space opening up in the Network over the next month.
References
- Barakji, J., Korang, S. K., Feinberg, J., Maagaard, M., Mathiesen, O., Gluud, C., & Jakobsen, J. C. (2023). Cannabinoids versus placebo for pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis. PLOS ONE, 18(1), e0267420. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267420
- Miller, B. J. (2022). An honest look at marijuana and its place in palliative care. Center to Advance Palliative Care. https://www.capc.org/blog/an-honest-look-at-marijuana-and-its-place-in-palliative-care/
- Mücke, M., Weier, M., Carter, C., Copeland, J., Degenhardt, L., Cuhls, H., … Conrad, R. (2018). Systematic review and meta-analysis of cannabinoids in palliative medicine. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 9(2), 220–234. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12273
