In 1992, Olivia Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer, and after undergoing additional treatment, she went into remission in 2013. Sadly, in 2017 she discovered that the disease had spread to her spine. While most people would find it difficult to accept such a tough hand in life, the actress, now at the age of 73, is persevering due to her optimism and cannabis.
As per The Daily Mail, the Australian Who magazine has recently quoted her saying she simply focuses on the positive aspects regardless of the challenges. This is why she is committed to helping other cancer patients through her own hospital, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center, and her own Australian-based foundation of the same name dedicated to researching and documenting the wonders of plant-based medicine.
When her husband, John Easterling, started cultivating cannabis on their California farm, the Grease actor discovered its therapeutic properties. She now claims it “help[s] with my symptoms” and is urging the Australian government to legalize it for medical use. She told Who that it’s a “healing plant” that should be made accessible to everyone who is suffering from chronic sickness or discomfort.
This is not the first time the star has gone on record praising the plant. She has often been heard raising awareness of its benefits. In 2020, she appeared on the Watch What Happens Live show with Andy Cohen, where she affirmed that cannabis has helped her with cancer calling it an “extremely important plant.” She goes on to confirm that it helped her with pain, getting more quality sleep, battling anxiety, and also lessening inflammation.
While the actress reaps, her husband does most of the sowing. According to Good Housekeeping, he’s been in the plant-based medicine industry since 1990, when he launched Amazon Herb Company, a herbal health company that has subsequently merged with TriVita. He now plants 21 different strains of cannabis and creates “quite specifically” herbal treatments for his wife.
“I was a bit worried since I don’t enjoy the feeling of any type of mind-altering substance,” Newton-John said in a 2019 interview with Good Housekeeping. “But I started slowly and acclimated to it, and it’s actually benefited me a lot.”
While there hasn’t been comprehensive research on cannabis as an effective cancer treatment, some studies suggest that it may be useful in relieving nausea produced by chemotherapy as well as cancer-related nerve pain. And that is enough to keep Olivia Newton-John going. She is keen on beating this condition.
She told Good Housekeeping that beating cancer is a choice. “And once you make that choice, you kind of train your brain to stay there, so it becomes normal … I talk to my body, and I thank it for every step it makes of improvement. And I thank it anyway! It’s really a practice because you create your world by what you think. You’ve really got to start appreciating things you used to take for granted.”
While the studies on cannabis as a cancer treatment are not conclusive, things are quite promising due to cases such as Olivia’s. This means that cannabis sales will go up, which is good news for cannabis dispensaries. However, to stay on top of the game, businesses will need to stay compliant with state regulations when it comes to their cannabis packaging.
