Cannabis And Cancer

 

I offer the following in support of President Obama’s statement re: the relative harm of cannabis vs alcohol. Here are some little disclosed FACTS.

Cannabis and Cancer

♀ Rats and mice orally dosed with varying levels of pure THC showed a significantly greater rate of survival than those that did not receive THC. THC proved effective in reducing breast cancer, uterine cancer, cancer of the pancreas and testicles; higher doses of THC resulted in greater protection and longer life.

See: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, NTP Technical Report on the Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of 1-Trans-Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Gavage Studies) (Washington, D.C.: 1994):7

♀ Cannabinoids induced apoptosis and reduced tumor growth in animal models of pancreatic cancer thus preventing the spread of pancreatic tumor cells.

See: Abrams, Donald and Guzman, Manuel, “Cannabis and Cancer” in Integrative Oncology, edited by Donald Abrams and Andrew Weil (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009).

♀ Cannabinoids inhibit the spread of cervical cancer cells. Cannabinoids may be an effective therapeutic option for treating highly invasive cancers.

See: Ramer, Robert, Burkhard Hinz, “Inhibition of Cancer Cell Invasion by Cannabinoids via Increased Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1,” Journal of National Cancer Institute 100: 1 December 25, 2007): 59-69.

♀ Cannabinoids destroy tumor cells, leaving their healthy counterparts intact and may further have a protective function—in contrast to current use of chemotherapy and its devastating effects on healthy cells and organs.

See: Guzman, Manuel, “Cannabinoids: Potential Anticancer Agents,” Nature Reviews 3 (October 2003): 751

 

♀ Research shows that THC prevents aggressive breast cancers from proliferating and generating blood vessels. THC was also found to increase rate of death of breast cancer cells.

See: Caffarel, Maria M, et al., “Cannabinoids reduce ErbB2-driven breasts cancer progression through Akt inhibition,” Molecular Cancer 9 (July 22, 2010): 196.

 

Coming soon: Cannabis and Alzheimer’s

I hereby go on record in support of the legalization of Marijuana in the USA (for adults ages 25 and above); with medical cannabis—under the care of a licensed physician—available to all.

I invite your research re: alcohol and cancer