For years, doctors and scientists have been searching for an effective drug to stop cancer growth. The chemotherapy used most often does not give 100% certainty of eradicating cancer. In addition, it causes a number of side effects, and in advanced stages of cancer may not give any effect. Research on medical marijuana and the fight against cancer has been going on for decades. More and more publications show how much of a difference medical marijuana can make in cancer treatment. In this article, we will present the known facts about the effectiveness of cannabis. Can marijuana cure cancer?
What is cancer?
Cancer is a collection of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth. In no way uncontrolled growth of cells results in the formation of a mass called a "tumor". We can divide tumors into two types - benign and malignant. There are over 100 varieties of cancer, caused by external factors such as smoking, alcohol or UV radiation, and genetic factors such as genetic mutations inherited from parents. The human body consists of billions of cells and as a result cancer can develop anywhere. According to statistics, 21% of diagnosed cancers in men and about 10% in women are lung cancers. Each year, lung cancer accounts for 1/6 of all cancer deaths. In women, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer - 21%, and the chances of curing it in Poland are about 60%. Cancer is present in every society. In the United States, 39.8% of citizens have been diagnosed with cancer at various stages of their lives. Cancer unfortunately affects almost everyone.
How can marijuana stop the development of cancer?
Marijuana contains at least 85 different types of cannabinoids and active chemicals that form the basis for fighting cancer. U.S. researchers at the California Pacific Medical Research Center found that non-psychoactive CBD blocks cancer cell growth and metastasis. What's more, the cannabinoids contained in hemp cause apoptasis (death of cancer cells). Dr. Sean McAllister, who works at Pacific Medical Center, has been studying cannabionids for years, thanks to funding from the National Institutes of Health. The doctor demonstrated in 2007 the positive effects of CBD on breast cancer, metastasis or tumor growth itself.
The invaluable effects of THC
A Spanish biologist, Cristina Sanchez associated with the Complutense University of Madrid, came to similar conclusions back in 1998. The biologist focused on brain cancer cells and THC. Sanchez said in an interview for the European Journal of Biochemistry that THC "induces apoptosis of C6 glioma cells." Another of the Spanish scientists Dr. Manuel Guzman and his team conducted a clinical study on the effects of THC on cancer cells. The doctor administered pure THC to 6 glioma patients. In each patient, the number of cancer cells was significantly reduced. In turn, researchers at Harvard University showed that THC precisely destroys lung cancer cells, unlike chemotherapy, which can destroy healthy cells.
What is the conclusion of the above studies?
Both THC and CBD ensure that cancer cells do not replicate and malignant strains of cancer do not metastasize to other organs. There are many documented cases where medical marijuana has significantly eradicated cancer. You don't have to look far, just look at the story of Jacob Bartol. CBD oil combined with other medical marijuana-based drugs almost completely stopped the growth of a glioma. Doctors were shocked, as conventional methods were not showing much results. However, we must remember that medical marijuana is not a miracle cure for all ailments. Sometimes many factors influence the effectiveness of marijuana therapy, such as genetic predisposition, a particular strain of cannabis, or its dosage. Nevertheless, cannabis does provide relief to patients, relieve chronic pain, and help overcome cancer. As more research is done, more questions will surely be answered, but what scientists have found so far shows the great medicinal potential of medical marijuana.
What scientists are saying today can be summarized as follows:
- higher doses of THC bring better results - the patient, to the best of his ability, should carry out treatment in the most intensive way possible it does not matter what form THC is taken - oil, inhalation or oral administration, the choice is free the combination of CBD and THC gives much better results than administering one of these substances separately the key is the ratio of CBD and THC - the patient and his doctor should choose the appropriate proportions; the recommended ratio is 1:1, but more CBD is recommended at the moment there is no information on the suggested length of treatment with CBD and THC THC and CBD increases apoptosis, inhibits cancer cell growth and reduces the formation of blood vessels in the tumor
