In a recent study conducted by the United States National Cancer Institute, scientists have confirmed that cannabis kills cancer cells and significantly helps with treatment.
A recent study conducted by the US National Cancer Insititute indicates that cannabis may prove to be a rather effective way of battling cancer.
Most people that have somewhat been connected to the medical side of cannabis already know that there are several compounds in the cannabis plant that may be very helpful to humans.
Two of the main cannabinoids that have been tested for medical effects are 9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
According to the report, these two cannabinoids could also prove to have the following effects:
It has been known prior to this claim by NCI that cannabis is a very effective aid during the cancer treatment process by:
So far, the FDA has not approved cannabis as a valid treatment option for cancer or any other medical condition but that soon may change.
Clinical trials required
There are currently no ongoing clinical trials of cannabis as a treatment for cancer in humans, however, in previous trials we’ve found some amazing results.
So far cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied in clinical trials as ways to manage side effects of cancer and cancer therapies, but never as a treatment for cancer itself.
The only published trial of any cannabinoid in patients with cancer is a small pilot study of intratumoral injection of delta-9-THC in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.
Cannabinoids may have antitumor effects by various mechanisms, some of which are the induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and inhibition of tumor metastasis.
One study in mice and rats even went so far to suggest that cannabinoids may have a protective effect against the development of certain types of tumors.
Another investigation into the antitumor effects of CBD examined the role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) which has been reported to be negatively correlated with cancer metastasis.
It turns out that in lung cancer cell lines, CBD upregulated ICAM-1, leading to decreased cancer cell invasiveness.
Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells but do not affect their nontransformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death.
In another study, CBD has also been demonstrated to exert a chemopreventive effect in a mouse model of colon cancer.
This only shows that the effects of the cannabinoids are not narrowed down to only a few types of cancer.
It would seem that we are still somewhat off in regards to finding the perfect formulation and combination of cannabinoids in order to manage cancer with cannabis.
One thing is certain, cannabis is a much better alternative to opioids and similar drugs for pain management that are handed to cancer patients during their difficult times.
For start, nobody ever died from smoking too much cannabis because cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brainstem areas that control respiration.
Although cannabis is considered to be an addictive drug, its addictive potential is considerably lower than that of other prescribed drugs or substances.
A recent study conducted by the US National Cancer Insititute indicates that cannabis may prove to be a rather effective way of battling cancer.
Most people that have somewhat been connected to the medical side of cannabis already know that there are several compounds in the cannabis plant that may be very helpful to humans.
Two of the main cannabinoids that have been tested for medical effects are 9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
According to the report, these two cannabinoids could also prove to have the following effects:
- Anti-inflammatory activity
- Blocking tumor cell growth
- Preventing the growth of blood vessels that supply tumors
- Antiviral activity.
- Relieving muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.
It has been known prior to this claim by NCI that cannabis is a very effective aid during the cancer treatment process by:
- Negate or drastically reduce Nausea and Vomiting during chemotherapy
- Stimulating Appetite
- Providing Pain Relief
- Assisting as a Sleep Aid Improving sense of well-being
- Reducing Anxiety
So far, the FDA has not approved cannabis as a valid treatment option for cancer or any other medical condition but that soon may change.
Clinical trials required
There are currently no ongoing clinical trials of cannabis as a treatment for cancer in humans, however, in previous trials we’ve found some amazing results.
So far cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied in clinical trials as ways to manage side effects of cancer and cancer therapies, but never as a treatment for cancer itself.
The only published trial of any cannabinoid in patients with cancer is a small pilot study of intratumoral injection of delta-9-THC in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.
Cannabinoids may have antitumor effects by various mechanisms, some of which are the induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and inhibition of tumor metastasis.
One study in mice and rats even went so far to suggest that cannabinoids may have a protective effect against the development of certain types of tumors.
Another investigation into the antitumor effects of CBD examined the role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) which has been reported to be negatively correlated with cancer metastasis.
It turns out that in lung cancer cell lines, CBD upregulated ICAM-1, leading to decreased cancer cell invasiveness.
Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells but do not affect their nontransformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death.
In another study, CBD has also been demonstrated to exert a chemopreventive effect in a mouse model of colon cancer.
This only shows that the effects of the cannabinoids are not narrowed down to only a few types of cancer.
It would seem that we are still somewhat off in regards to finding the perfect formulation and combination of cannabinoids in order to manage cancer with cannabis.
One thing is certain, cannabis is a much better alternative to opioids and similar drugs for pain management that are handed to cancer patients during their difficult times.
For start, nobody ever died from smoking too much cannabis because cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brainstem areas that control respiration.
Although cannabis is considered to be an addictive drug, its addictive potential is considerably lower than that of other prescribed drugs or substances.
