New Study Shows Marijuana Combats Cancer
April 19th, 2007 | by Ken Grandlund |Seriously. New studies with the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, THC, have shown that it can reduce active lung tumors and prevent their spread. And there is hope that similar results will occur with brain, prostate, and skin cancers.
THC is the ingredient in marijuana that makes you high. But it turns out that part of that compound (tetra-hydro-cannabinol), the cannabinol, is created naturally by the human body too, albeit in a slightly different form (endocannabinoids). It’s function in humans is to stimulate appetite and control pain and inflammation. No wonder its popular with chemotherapy patients, whose treatments leave them ravished and not at all feeling hungry. Or with people living with chronic pain. No wonder many states have approved the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, despite federal threats and raids. In this study, scientists showed that the THC seeks out two forms of endocannabinoids that exist in high amounts on the cancerous cells.
“This revs up their natural anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation can promote the growth and spread of cancer. In the new study, the researchers first demonstrated that THC inhibited the growth and spread of cells from two different lung cancer cell lines and from patient lung tumors. Then, they injected THC into mice that had been implanted with human lung cancer cells. After three weeks, tumors shrank by about 50 percent, compared with tumors in untreated mice. “
Studies also show that the ‘patients’ seem to exhibit classic symptoms of being ‘high’ so I’m sure there will be plenty denouncing this potentially lifesaving medicine.
[tag]marijuana, medical+marijuana, marijuana+and+cancer, cancer, medicine, science, health+care[/tag]
6 Responses to “New Study Shows Marijuana Combats Cancer”
By Dusty on Apr 19, 2007 | Reply
We can’t have people getting ‘high’ even if it does help their tumors/cancers to shrink.
Great news, thanks for the links and for posting this Ken :>)
By tos on Apr 19, 2007 | Reply
I’m am all for using marijuana for medical purposes. It has to be injected not smoked which I think alot of the debate is about,making it legal to smoke it. I’m just saying not disagreeing.
By Lazy Iguana on Apr 20, 2007 | Reply
Smoking the shit is probably not good for you. The stuff has more tar than cigarettes, in fact the general rule is that the sticker the stuff is the better it is. I would think that the sticky turns into tar when burned.
But this does not mean that pot can not be made into yummy brownies or Rice Crispy treats! This will give all the medical benefits and none of the smoke issues.
Also, it makes it easier to bring the stuff through airport checkpoints to consume during that long flight. Lighting up on a plane is not exactly cool. Lighters are confiscated by TSA and matches will get you beat down.
By manapp99 on Apr 20, 2007 | Reply
Hey Lazy, you got the recipe for those Rice Crispy treats?
By ken grandlund on Apr 20, 2007 | Reply
Actually LI, matches are allowed on board airplanes and you can even carry them on your person. How’s that for strange rules?