Cannabis can be found in various forms (strains, harsh, concentrates, edibles etc)
Cannabis can be found in various forms (strains, harsh, concentrates, edibles etc) and the health benefits of cannabis are ever-growing. These are called cannabinoids. The two best studied and identified components are the chemicals delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (often referred to as THC), and cannabidiol (CBD). A report by the National Institutes of Health stated that people have been using marijuana, or cannabis, to treat their ailments for at least 3,000 years. Marijuana was made more medical-friendly when its active ingredient THC was synthesized in 1966, and finally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1985.
Cancer is a broad term. What is Cancer
Cancer is a broad term. It refers to diseases that result when cellular changes cause the uncontrolled growth and division of cells. Certain types of cancer result in rapid cell growth, while others push cells to grow and divide at a slower rate. Other forms of cancer manifest through visible growths called tumors, while others, such as leukemia, do not. Some common causes of cancer include heavy alcohol consumption, excess body weight, physical inactivity and poor nutrition. It should be noted that genetic factors can also contribute to the development of cancer. This is due to the fact that person’s genetic code tells their cells when to divide and expire, thus changes in the genes can lead to faulty instructions, which may result to cancer. Genes also influence the cells’ production of proteins, and these proteins carry many of the instructions for cellular growth and division which may result to cancer. Equally, a person can inherit a predisposition for a type of cancer. This can be referred to as a hereditary cancer syndrome. Cancer causes cells to divide uncontrollably. This can result in tumors, damage to the immune system, and other impairment that can be fatal and can result in side effects such as liver damage, sedation, and thoughts of suicide.
Marijuana stops Cancer. CBD may prevent it from spreading.
The U.S Government sponsored a study by the Institute of Medicine which revealed the beneficial properties of marijuana in certain medical conditions one of such being its ability to slow the growth and kill cancer cells.
Published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, it tested and proved that Cannabidiol in all its forms has the ability to stop cancer by turning off a gene. (eg. Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells). In 2007, a group of researchers at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco carried out an experiment on breast cancer cells in the lab that had high level of Id 1, and treated them with cannabidiol. The results were rather positive as the cells had a decreased Id 1 expression, and were less aggressive spreaders. They later reported that CBD may prevent cancer from spreading.
In fact, the American Association for Cancer Research has found that marijuana actually works to slow down tumor growth in brain, breast, and lungs considerately.
Some studies have found that inhaled (smoked or vaporized) marijuana can be helpful treatment of neuropathic pain and also that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or result to death in certain types of cancer cells growing in lab dishes. Some studies done on animals also suggest certain cannabinoids may slow growth and reduce spread of some forms of cancer.