National legalization of marijuana may be
drawing a smidgeon closer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), one of the
federal government sponsored agencies, has just updated the FAQs on its website to include recent studies
on marijuana showing that it can and has killed cancer cells.
These are the findings of studies NCI have
included:
•
Cannabinoids may inhibit tumor
growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the
development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow. Laboratory and animal
studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while
protecting normal cells.
•
Cannabinoids may protect
against inflammation of the colon and may have potential in reducing the
risk of colon cancer, and possibly in its treatment.
•
A laboratory study of delta
-9-THC in hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) cells showed it damaged or
killed the cancer cells. The same study of delta-9-THC in models of liver
cancer showed that it had anti-tumor effects. Delta-9-THC has been shown to
cause these effects by acting on molecules that may also be found in non-small
cell lung cancer cells and breast cancer cells.
•
A laboratory study of cannabidiol
(CBD) in estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative breast
cancer cells showed that it caused cancer cell death while having little
effect on normal breast cells. Studies of metastatic breast cancer showed that
cannabinoids may lessen the growth, number, and spread of tumors.
•
A laboratory study of cannabidiol
in human glioma cells showed that when given along with chemotherapy, CBD may
make chemotherapy more effective and increase cancer cell death without harming
normal cells. Studies showed that CBD together with delta-9-THC may make
chemotherapy such as temozolomide more effective.
These studies are considered by the NCI as
preclinical. They were all done using animals. According to them, no clinical
trials of cannabis use for the treatment of cancer in humans have been
published.
The NCI has included findings on peripheral
benefits for cancer patients from marijuana:
•
Delta-9-THC and other
cannabinoids stimulate appetite and can increase food intake.
•
Cannabinoid receptors have been
studied in the brain, spinal cord, and nerve endings throughout the body to
understand their roles in pain relief.
•
Cannabinoids have been studied
for anti-inflammatory effects that may play a role in pain relief.
The NCI is one of the National Institutes of
Health.
Infowars is reporting that the National Institute on Drug
Abuse, another of the agencies of the National Institutes of Health, has
referred to marijuana studies, including one that showed “marijuana can kill
certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others.”
The big news here is not these studies. These
and many more are contained on PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine
that is also part of the National Institutes of Health. They are there for all
of the world to see.
The news is that after decades of the
demonization of marijuana by a federal government that supports pharmaceuticals
and GMOs, there is a breath of change. But if you want to prevent or treat
cancer with marijuana, be prepared for arrest and imprisonment in most states
of this union.
Barbara Minton
Barbara Minton
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