Olivia Newton-John has recently opened up about her use of medical cannabis and herbal remedies in her fight against stage four cancer.
The Grease star, who battled breast cancer for the first time in 1992 and then again in 2013, was told the illness had returned in 2017. Cancer spread to her bones, resulting in the fracturing of her pelvis and hip.
However, despite her health struggles, Olivia remains hopeful that she will once again overcome the disease. She believes the road to recovery is smoothed by a positive mindset and a little help from nature.
In an interview with Closer, Olivia spoke about how she has used cannabis and herbal tinctures to help medicate. "There are a lot of herbs I take. And over the last 10 years, I’ve used cannabis. My husband makes me tinctures that help me immensely with pain, inflammation, sleep and anxiety. I’d like to research all that and find out what else is going on because I feel good."
Olivia has always been honest about her use of medical cannabis throughout her cancer treatment. She took a cannabis blend to ease chemotherapy's harsh side effects, including pain, fatigue, and stress. Her husband, John Easterling, a plant-researcher and founder of a cannabis-tech company, made the concoction.
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“I'm very lucky to be married to a wonderful man who is a plant medicine man, and he has great knowledge,' Olivia told People earlier in the year. “Now he's growing medicinal cannabis for me, and it just has been wonderful. It helps me in every area.”
The popular herbal remedy empowered Olivia to taper off her pharmaceutical drugs and still manage her chronic pain. “I was able to wean myself completely off all pain meds using cannabis, which is something I think everyone should know is possible,” she said.
In the interview with Closer, Olivia spoke about furthering this research into plant-based medicine. She discussed her decision to open the Olivia Newton-John Foundation, a research center in Melbourne that funds cancer and wellness research.
Olivia said: "After having lived for years with different cancers, and having surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, I thought it would be wonderful if we could find different kinds of treatments for people going through cancer. I’ve been lucky enough to be married to an amazing man, 'Amazon' John [Easterling], who’s a plant medicine man. So I’ve taken a lot of plant medicine over the last years and have done well. We want to raise money to fund the studies on plant medicine."
As for the Covid-19 vaccine, Olivia has revealed she doesn't intend to get the injection any time soon. Although she did not explain her decision, it’s possible it was influenced by her family’s views.
Her daughter Chloe Lattanzi, who is also involved in the business of medical cannabis, has been a vocal opponent of the Covid-19 vaccine and has given voice to conspiracy theories about it. Chloe has been heavily criticized for spreading misinformation on the vaccine.
Chloe's beliefs are not supported by science. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Health Service have confirmed that the Covid-19 vaccine is not only safe and effective but crucial for preventing the spread of the coronavirus and saving lives.
