Cancer can cause serious problems in any part of the body. Each type of cancer is a completely different disease. Researchers have found over 200 various cancers originating from one of the 60 organs in the body.

Our human system is designed to kill cells that are turning cancerous. Each cell has a protective suicide switch. When the cell realizes something is amiss, it flips the switch on, killing the cell rather than spreading the disease. This occurs when little scissors like proteins called enzymes start cutting up the innards of the cell. This shuts down all cell functions stopping cancer from spreading from that cell. The process is called apoptosis (programmed cell death). Cannabis has been show to cause apoptosis in cancerous cells. Research has shown this in a test tube and animal studies shown with links below:

(1) Cannabinoids for Cancer Treatment: Progress and Promise 

(2) From mice/rat research:

“Antitumor activity

• Studies in mice and rats have shown that 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.
• A study in mice showed that 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 that it damaged or killed the cancer cells. The same study of delta-9-THC in mouse models of liver cancer showed that it had antitumor 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 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.
• A laboratory study of cannabidiol in human glioma cells showed that when given along with chemotherapy, cannabidiol may make chemotherapy more effective and increase cancer cell death without harming normal cells“.

Shown directly above are five bullet headings,taken directly off the the National Cancer Institute’s web site listed as a link below:

Cannabis And Cannabinoids From NCI (National Cancer Institute)

If an abnormal cell waits too long to auto-destruct, cancer can come in, stopping the switch from being turned on. This allows the cell to keep multiplying, budding off new cancer cells. The cell will no longer die, because the death switch has been smartly turned off by the cancer allowing the disease to spread.

Even pets with cancer are given back an increased quality of life with cannabis. Please see the link below detailing how a vet is making that happen:

Animal Doctor Treats His Cancer Patients With Marijuana

Research with non-humans has shown that cannabis gives a better quality of life for those suffering from the disease. Experimentation with the plant has concluded it stops cancer cells in three different ways. It causes the mutated (dangerous changes in DNA) cell to commit suicide (apoptosis) before it spreads its cancer. Also, marijuana prevents angiogenesis, which is the development of new blood vessels around the cancer. If you stop this process, you don’t allow the cancer to create a new highway to transport its cells throughout the body. Lastly, it stops cancer cells from dividing called anti-proliferic. This stops cancer from making babies to spread its disease.

In the worse case scenario, marijuana is invaluable for give someone back a “quality” of life.  Cannabis can play a part in giving the patient a better quality of life. Chemotherapy (drugs used to treat cancers) usually causes nausea and vomiting. These side effects may lead to significant weight loss. Cannabis neutralizes these negative effects. The plant also increases hunger which allows lost weight to be regained.

In the best case scenario, think if human studies prove without a doubt that cannabis may be used to treat and maybe even prevent cancers. What a more wonderful world this would be!

Photo credit: joshunter / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Photo credit: Natasha Fadeeva / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

Photo credit: Johnny Green, a marijuana activist from Oregon a B.S. in Public Policy.

Categories: Food, Health, Medications, Nutrition, Science-Technology

Tags: cancer, cannabinoids, cannabis, disease, marijuana