Apoptosis in a cell is the process by which a cell dies at the time that it is supposed to. The timely death of a cell is a crucial aspect of health in an organism. This frees up resources for the other young, growing and active cells to function properly and attain peak efficiency. If a cell refuses to die when it is supposed to, then that becomes a problem for the body. You might ask that, if a cell continues to live beyond its natural age, wouldn't that be great, wouldn't it increase the overall longevity of the individual? Unfortunately that is not the case. When cells refuse to die they start feeding on resources around them, and grow into masses called tumors. These cut off precious nutrients to various parts of the body, and its organs, and reduce the individual's overall health, sometimes slowly, and sometimes very rapidly. If this goes undetected for too long, vital nutrition for the body fails to reach it and the person withers away, eventually reaching a point of no return, and dying. There are numerous types of cancers, affecting various parts of the body, each showing a different behavior and attacking different organs.
Cancers affect the brain, mouth, throat, lungs, heart, liver, stomach, pancreas, blood, kidneys, reproductive organs, intestines, bone marrow and skin.
Pretty much the whole body is susceptible to some kind of cancer. Most
cancers start in one area, before eventually spread to other parts of
the body. Cancers vary in their rate of spread, some being slow,
stretching over many years, and some being relatively very fast and
aggressive, taking their toll in the span of a few years.
Cancers have probably existed from a very long time but it is the recent evidence of their widespread prevalence that has made society sit up and take notice. Till recently, cancer was labelled a lifestyle disease, mostly afflicting older people from affluent backgrounds who, due to the advances of medicine and standard of life, were living longer but in the process becoming more prone to diseases like cancer, obesity, heart disease, dementia and diabetes because of their sedentary lifestyles, and prolonged usage of synthetic pharmaceutical drugs. However, new factors have started to contribute to the increasing spread of cancer. The environment we live in, the food and water we consume, and the air we breathe, have started to significantly contribute to the rise of cancer because of the widespread contamination of all these life sustaining essentials by carcinogens of all kinds. This is a result of our lopsided economic focus, and modern addiction to petrochemicals and fossil fuels, synthetic pharmaceuticals, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, chemical laced fast foods, sugar based sweetened beverages, tobacco, alcohol, etc. Increased screening of people has contributed to the rise in detected numbers, but the root cause is the way in which the web of life has been disrupted by mankind's excesses and misadventures.
As early as in the 1960s, Rachel Carson wrote in her seminal book, Silent Spring - 'Measured by the standards established by Warburg, most pesticides meet
the criterion of the perfect carcinogen too well for comfort. As we have
seen in the preceding chapter, many of the chlorinated hydrocarbons,
the phenols, and some herbicides interfere with oxidation and energy
production within the cell. By this means they may be creating sleeping
cancer cells, in which an irreversible malignancy will slumber
undetected until finally - its cause long forgotten and even unsuspected
- it flares into the open as recognizable cancer.'
Modern medical science approaches cancer primarily through chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. All three are quite debilitating to the patient, and often result in relapse of the disease after some time. Radiation itself is known as a cause for cancer. Surgery can be life threatening, especially for older people, the young, the weak, and those in advanced stages of the disease. Chemotherapy uses a hit or miss technique, barraging the body with various combinations of powerful toxic drugs, and seeing which combination will work best. The cancer-drugs-producing pharmaceutical industry is working overtime to bring out, and market, newer drugs and drug combinations to fight the various types of cancers. These drugs are very expensive, and quite often the patient is being used to test the drugs for effectiveness. In addition to the medications for the direct treatment of cancer, the patient is also made to take medications to address nausea, pain, loss of appetite, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and the other side effects of the main cancer treatment cocktails. Whether the intake of all these medications leaves the patient better off or worse is one of the moot points of debate today. In Silent Spring, Carson further writes - 'But in all the thousand million years envisioned by these authors no threat has struck so directly and so forcefully at that 'incredible accuracy' as the mid-20th century threat of man-made radiation and man-made and man-disseminated chemicals. Sir Macfarlane Burnet, a distinguished Australian physician and a Nobel Prize winner, considers it 'one of the most significant medical features' of our time that, 'as a by-product of more and more powerful therapeutic procedures and the production of chemical substances outside of biological experiences, the normal protective barriers that kept mutagenic agents from the internal organs have been more and more frequently penetrated.' The pharma industry usually makes a financial windfall through the sale of these drugs, with medical insurance providing the necessary coverage, and physicians and treatment centers getting their cuts. In this situation, the well being of the patient figures as just one of the many criteria for consideration. The patient serves as a guinea pig, and eventually succumbs to the disease, or the terrible side effects of the medication. These powerful medications can easily lay low the healthiest adult, let alone young children and the elderly. How many persons have died because of the medication, rather than the actual cancer itself is anybody's guess. With the money involved, you could say that the medical industry stands to gain considerably by keeping the disease cancer alive, and actually seeing its prevalence in society increase. Adalimumab, the anti-cancer drug, was the best selling pharma drug, earning the most revenues for its pharmaceutical manifacturers in recent times.
In her book Silent Spring, written in 1962, Rachel
Carson speaks of how man fails to address the root causes of cancer, but rather looks to develop a synthetic cure that he can benefit from materially - 'Today we find our world filled with cancer-producing agents. An attack
on cancer that is concentrated wholly or even largely on therapeutic
measures (even assuming a 'cure' could be found) in Dr. Heuper's opinion
will fail because it leaves untouched the great reservoirs of
carcinogenic agents which would continue to claim new victims faster
than the as yet 'elusive' cure could allay the disease. Why have
we been so slow to adopt this common-sense approach to the cancer
problem? Probably 'the goal of curing victims of cancer is more
exciting, more tangible, more glamourous and rewarding than prevention,'
says Dr. Heuper. Yet to prevent cancer from ever being formed is
'definitely more humane' and can be 'much more effective than cancer
cures'. Dr. Heuper has little patience with the wishful thinking that
promises 'a magic pill that we shall take every morning before
breakfast' as protection against cancer. Part of the public trust in
such an eventual outcome results from the misconception that cancer is a
single, though mysterious disease, with a single cause and, hopefully, a
single cure. This of course is far from the known truth. Just as
environmental cancers are induced by a wide variety of chemical and
physical agents, so the malignant condition itself is manifested in many
different and biologically distinct ways.'
Rachel Carson goes further to recommend a solution to the problem - 'This system, however - deliberately poisoning our food, then policing
the result - is too reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's White Knight who
thought of "a plan to dye one's whiskers green, and always use so large a
fan that they could not be seen." The ultimate answer is to use less
toxic chemicals so that the public hazard from their misuse is greatly
reduced.' These toxic chemicals that are so prevalent in our food, medicine, water, air and land are mostly man-made. Everybody knows what they are and what their effects are. Yet governments continue to vastly subsidize the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and actually dump them on farmers, encouraging them to use much more than is necessary. Policy makers and health experts do all they can to support, and encourage, the massive synthetic pharmaceutical industry, whose synthetic pharmaceutical products now contribute as much to cancer through contamination of our food, soil and water, in addition to the contamination of the body. Petrochemical companies provide massive funding to governments to ensure that their fossil fuels and petrochemical based non-biodegradable products flood the water and air around us. Governments encourage the cultivation of unsustainable crops, and do nothing to stop acivitie such as crop stubble burning.
It may appear that fighting cancer is a losing battle but that is not the case. There is a tangible solution, one that address all the root causes of cancer, such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, synthetic pharmaceutical drugs, petrochemical based non-biodegradable products, and the increasing air pollution through the burning of fossil fuels. It is the closest possible thing to what Dr. Heuper described as "a magic pill that we shall take every morning before
breakfast' as protection against cancer." All it takes is to acknowledge the causes of cancer, and the potential of cannabis to address these causes at multiple levels. Cannabis as an agricultural crop to meet the food, industrial and medicinal needs of the world is sustainable and more than adequate. It can replace a number of chemical fertilizer and pesticide intensive crops - such as rice, cotton, tobacco, palm oil - and it grows in diverse conditions around the world. Cannabis for the production of biodegradable materials and products can replace the vast numbers of petrochemical based non-biodegradable products. Cannabis as a bio-fuel can replace a significant portion of air-polluting fossil fuels. Cannabis, as a carbon-sequestering and bio-accumulating renewable plant, can significantly help to clean up our air and soil. Cannabis as a medicine for multiple conditions can be grown at home, by an individual, to replace the vast arrays of synthetic pharmaceutical drugs that not only cause cancer due to their prolonged usage, but also pollute the environment in their manufacture and disposal. Cannabis can reduce the intake of alcohol, tobacco and synthetic drugs, all acknowledged as key contributors to cancer. Here we are talking about some of the ways in which cannabis can address some of the root causes contributing to the increasing rise of cancer in our world today. But that is not all. The most important aspect of cannabis is that it can directly address cancer itself, serving as a potent medicine to attack the cancerous parts of the body and heal them.
Cannabis as a treatment for cancer has been in the news for at least the last 50 years. Cannabis is said to be pro-apoptotic i.e. it aids in timely cell death. It reduces the proliferation of cancer cells. It promotes autophagy among cancer cells. Numerous publications and research findings have appeared in the world's leading scientific and medical journals regarding the potential of cannabis to fight cancer. Reports of cannabis reducing, and even completely eliminating, tumors abound. This is not about cannabis helping to alleviate the side effects of cancer treatment in patients, but of cannabis being the medicine that is directly fighting the cancer. Various kinds of cancer have been found in research to be inhibited by cannabis, including glioblastoma, adenocarcinoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, melanoma, endometrial cancer(EC), prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancers, liver cancer, lung cancer, etc. Yet despite more than 50 years of studies, the plant is still nowhere in the mainstream treatment options that are legally available to the world today. This surely points to the involvement of the pharma industry and medical industry in keeping the plant out of the picture. If a plant like cannabis becomes universally accepted as medicine for cancer, the entire current physician-pharma-medical insurance-hospital nexus for treatment of the disease will collapse. Every single individual will be able to grow his or her medicine at home, at nearly zero cost, as against the huge amounts of money spent now. Cannabis, as cancer medicine, will be available at even the remotest places in the world, completely eliminating the need for coming into contact with the medical and pharma industry. That kind of scenario will be something that these vastly powerful global industries will surely do all they can to prevent, influencing everybody, including lawmakers, especially where the value of human life is secondary to business profits, which is nearly everywhere today.
Besides directly addressing cancer, cannabis also addresses the side effects of the toxic anti-cancer medication and treatment of today, namely nausea, pain, loss of appetite, depression, anxiety and sleep
disorders.
Some individuals have decided to take bold steps to self treat their cancers with cannabis and many of them have reported encouraging results. No serious impact to their quality of lives, and in some cases an actual improvement, in quality of life has been reported by these persons. Slowly medical associations in many US states, Canada, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and European countries like Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Greece have started to take notice, most often due to the repeated and persistent demands from their cancer patients that they explore cannabis as a treatment option. This has resulted in many forms of cancer being added as eligible conditions for treatment with medical cannabis. These numbers grow rapidly everyday, but they are still only a small portion of the total number of persons afflicted with cancer world wide, and are almost entirely from the affluent and wealthy nations, and upper classes everywhere, who can afford any kind of treatment that they wished for. Many persons are not even aware of cannabis's potential as the plant is a banned substance worldwide and illegal in most countries. Patients who need cannabis the most, and who would benefit the most with cannabis, especially the poorest, the minorities, the indigenous communities, the elderly, the youth and women across the world, don't have access to the plant in most places, and physicians themselves are afraid to recommend cannabis for fear of losing their licenses or bonuses.To make things worse, if that could even be considered possible, many persons who try to treat their cancers with cannabis are forced to interact with the black market, run afoul of law enforcement and end up in prison for their troubles.
The only way to have a truly preventive, affordable, global approach to cancer would be to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use world wide, and to allow home growing, as well as growing for commercial purposes. Different varieties of cannabis from different parts of the world will surely have different properties, making them suitable for different cancer types. A lot of research focus in recent times has been on cannabidiol (CBD), which is considered to be quasi-legal in many places. Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is one of the most medicinal anti-cancer compounds in cannabis, is considered strictly illegal due to its psychotropic properties. Numerous research studies are showing that the whole spectrum of cannabis compounds, found in the natural plant, is more effective than just the use of one or two compounds extracted from the plant. The revival of as many indigenous varieties as possible, and medical research into the wide ranging properties of the plant should enable better cancer treatment. I am sure that almost all the people worldwide would want this if they became aware. The big question however is that do the big pharma, medical and insurance industries want it or would they prefer to cultivate cancer as a way to keep lining their pockets, at the expense of human life, and increasingly, at the expense of all life on earth?
Related articles
The following list of articles taken from various media speak about the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article.'Lifetime cannabis use is associated with lower rates of prostate cancer, according to observational data published in the journal Biomedicines.
Researchers affiliated with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida assessed the relationship between cannabis consumption and prostate cancer in a nationally representative cohort of 2,503 participants.
Investigators reported that subjects between the ages of 50 and 64 who identified as either current or former cannabis consumers possessed a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer diagnoses. Scientists suggested that this finding provides “biological support for the anti-cancer effects of the constituents of marijuana.” Numerous preclinical trials have documented the ability of cannabinoids to inhibit cancer cell growth.
The study’s authors reported: “In this cross-sectional study of 2503 participants from the USA using the NSDUH [National Survey on Drug Use and Health] from 2002 to 2020, we observed that individuals who were former marijuana users had a significantly lower rate of self-reports of having PC [prostate cancer]. Additionally, the current marijuana users also trended towards lower self-reports of PC. … Specifically, among participants aged greater than 65 years, former marijuana use was linked to reduced self-reports of PC compared to never using.”'
https://norml.org/news/2024/05/30/study-history-of-cannabis-use-associated-with-lower-risk-of-prostate-cancer/
The daily use of 5mg of oral THC is associated with increased survival times in palliative cancer patients, according to data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.
German researchers evaluated the impact of THC dosing in a cohort of 9,419 advanced cancer patients enrolled in Specialized Palliative Outpatient Care (SAPC). SAPC offers team-based home care for patients with advanced and progressive diseases whose life expectancies are limited to days, weeks, or months.
Researchers reported that patients’ daily use of 4.7mg of THC was associated with significantly increased survival time, whereas lower doses were not.
The study’s authors concluded: “The data … show a significant impact of THC on survival in ambulatory palliative care patients [who] … use more than 4.7 mg/day. Median survival time was prolonged by 15 days – from survival time of 25 days without THC therapy to 40 days with a daily THC dose higher than 4.7 mg per day. This prolongation by more than two weeks can be considered substantial. In addition to mere survival, patients [treated] with THC become more mentally and physically active.… The increased activity and improved quality of life might enable the patients to renew social contact with relatives and friends and to settle essential affairs before dying.”
https://norml.org/news/2024/05/09/analysis-thc-dosing-associated-with-increased-survival-time-in-palliative-cancer-patients/
Nearly half of US cancer survivors report having used cannabis, according to survey data published in the journal Cancers.
Investigators affiliated with the University of Texas, Anderson Cancer Center and John Hopkins University surveyed 1,886 cancer survivors from 41 states.
Just under half (48 percent) of respondents acknowledged having experience with cannabis. Approximately one-third of them reported using cannabis following their cancer diagnosis. Patients were most likely to report inhaling cannabis flower or consuming oil extracts.
“Many cancer survivors use cannabis as a palliative while undergoing cancer treatment, and this usage tends to rise following cancer diagnosis,” the study’s authors reported. “This suggests that cancer survivors often turn to cannabis to cope with their diagnosis or manage treatment-related symptoms.”
They concluded: “Cannabis use is widespread among cancer patients; therefore, regulatory guidance is even more critical at this time. As cannabis becomes more accessible for medicinal and recreational use, it is important to strengthen the regulatory framework for its use to minimize the untoward effects of cannabis use in cancer management.”
https://norml.org/news/2024/01/18/survey-cannabis-use-is-widespread-among-cancer-survivors/
Some 15 percent of cancer patients acknowledge consuming cannabis for symptom management, according to a pair of recent surveys.
The first study, published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics, surveyed nearly 2,500 patients receiving radiation for breast cancer. Fifteen percent of subjects acknowledged having used cannabis within the past 30 days. Patients most frequently endorsed using cannabis to treat insomnia, anxiety, and pain.
The second study, published in the journal Cancer Research Communications, surveyed 934 patients diagnosed with a variety of cancers. Just over 15 percent of respondents identified as current cannabis consumers. Patients most frequently reported consuming cannabis to mitigate pain, stress, and nausea, as well as to improve sleep and appetite. Cancer patients reported “moderate-high perceived effectiveness of cannabis-product use for symptom management.”
Authors of the study concluded, “Clinicians should be aware that a substantial percentage of patients with cancer are using cannabis products and report experiencing symptom relief with its use.”
https://norml.org/news/2023/10/05/studies-one-in-six-cancer-patients-report-using-cannabis-for-symptom-management/
Researchers affiliated with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida assessed the relationship between cannabis consumption and prostate cancer in a nationally representative cohort of 2,503 participants.
Investigators reported that subjects between the ages of 50 and 64 who identified as either current or former cannabis consumers possessed a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer diagnoses. Scientists suggested that this finding provides “biological support for the anti-cancer effects of the constituents of marijuana.” Numerous preclinical trials have documented the ability of cannabinoids to inhibit cancer cell growth.
The study’s authors reported: “In this cross-sectional study of 2503 participants from the USA using the NSDUH [National Survey on Drug Use and Health] from 2002 to 2020, we observed that individuals who were former marijuana users had a significantly lower rate of self-reports of having PC [prostate cancer]. Additionally, the current marijuana users also trended towards lower self-reports of PC. … Specifically, among participants aged greater than 65 years, former marijuana use was linked to reduced self-reports of PC compared to never using.”'
https://norml.org/news/2024/05/30/study-history-of-cannabis-use-associated-with-lower-risk-of-prostate-cancer/
The daily use of 5mg of oral THC is associated with increased survival times in palliative cancer patients, according to data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.
German researchers evaluated the impact of THC dosing in a cohort of 9,419 advanced cancer patients enrolled in Specialized Palliative Outpatient Care (SAPC). SAPC offers team-based home care for patients with advanced and progressive diseases whose life expectancies are limited to days, weeks, or months.
Researchers reported that patients’ daily use of 4.7mg of THC was associated with significantly increased survival time, whereas lower doses were not.
The study’s authors concluded: “The data … show a significant impact of THC on survival in ambulatory palliative care patients [who] … use more than 4.7 mg/day. Median survival time was prolonged by 15 days – from survival time of 25 days without THC therapy to 40 days with a daily THC dose higher than 4.7 mg per day. This prolongation by more than two weeks can be considered substantial. In addition to mere survival, patients [treated] with THC become more mentally and physically active.… The increased activity and improved quality of life might enable the patients to renew social contact with relatives and friends and to settle essential affairs before dying.”
https://norml.org/news/2024/05/09/analysis-thc-dosing-associated-with-increased-survival-time-in-palliative-cancer-patients/
Nearly half of US cancer survivors report having used cannabis, according to survey data published in the journal Cancers.
Investigators affiliated with the University of Texas, Anderson Cancer Center and John Hopkins University surveyed 1,886 cancer survivors from 41 states.
Just under half (48 percent) of respondents acknowledged having experience with cannabis. Approximately one-third of them reported using cannabis following their cancer diagnosis. Patients were most likely to report inhaling cannabis flower or consuming oil extracts.
“Many cancer survivors use cannabis as a palliative while undergoing cancer treatment, and this usage tends to rise following cancer diagnosis,” the study’s authors reported. “This suggests that cancer survivors often turn to cannabis to cope with their diagnosis or manage treatment-related symptoms.”
They concluded: “Cannabis use is widespread among cancer patients; therefore, regulatory guidance is even more critical at this time. As cannabis becomes more accessible for medicinal and recreational use, it is important to strengthen the regulatory framework for its use to minimize the untoward effects of cannabis use in cancer management.”
https://norml.org/news/2024/01/18/survey-cannabis-use-is-widespread-among-cancer-survivors/
Some 15 percent of cancer patients acknowledge consuming cannabis for symptom management, according to a pair of recent surveys.
The first study, published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics, surveyed nearly 2,500 patients receiving radiation for breast cancer. Fifteen percent of subjects acknowledged having used cannabis within the past 30 days. Patients most frequently endorsed using cannabis to treat insomnia, anxiety, and pain.
The second study, published in the journal Cancer Research Communications, surveyed 934 patients diagnosed with a variety of cancers. Just over 15 percent of respondents identified as current cannabis consumers. Patients most frequently reported consuming cannabis to mitigate pain, stress, and nausea, as well as to improve sleep and appetite. Cancer patients reported “moderate-high perceived effectiveness of cannabis-product use for symptom management.”
Authors of the study concluded, “Clinicians should be aware that a substantial percentage of patients with cancer are using cannabis products and report experiencing symptom relief with its use.”
https://norml.org/news/2023/10/05/studies-one-in-six-cancer-patients-report-using-cannabis-for-symptom-management/
'Conclusion
Almost half of all participants reported using cannabis during adjuvant or palliative radiation to relieve breast cancer symptoms or treatment side effects, most commonly: pain, insomnia, anxiety, stress, nausea/vomiting, and anorexia. Patients undergoing palliative radiation were more likely to use cannabis to relieve chronic pain compared to patients undergoing adjuvant radiation. Both oral and inhalational methods of cannabis delivery were commonly utilized, regardless of stage. Although preliminary research shows that cannabis helps to relieve pain, nausea, insomnia and anxiety, safety studies are needed regarding the use of inhalational cannabis products during breast radiation, given the known risk of pulmonary toxicity from cigarette smoking during breast radiation.'
https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(21)01512-1/fulltext
Almost half of all participants reported using cannabis during adjuvant or palliative radiation to relieve breast cancer symptoms or treatment side effects, most commonly: pain, insomnia, anxiety, stress, nausea/vomiting, and anorexia. Patients undergoing palliative radiation were more likely to use cannabis to relieve chronic pain compared to patients undergoing adjuvant radiation. Both oral and inhalational methods of cannabis delivery were commonly utilized, regardless of stage. Although preliminary research shows that cannabis helps to relieve pain, nausea, insomnia and anxiety, safety studies are needed regarding the use of inhalational cannabis products during breast radiation, given the known risk of pulmonary toxicity from cigarette smoking during breast radiation.'
https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(21)01512-1/fulltext
'Results
In total, 122/259 (47.1%) physicians completed the survey. Although 62.2% of the physicians completed some form of training about medical cannabis, nearly all (95.8%) desired to know more about the dosing, side effects, and safety of cannabis. Physicians identified a potential role of cannabis in the management of nausea and vomiting (85.7%), chronic pain (72.3%), cachexia/poor appetite (67.2%), and anxiety or depression (42.9%). Only four (0.3%) physicians recognized cannabis to be potentially useful as an anticancer agent. Nearly all physicians reported that cannabis-related research for symptom relief is essential (91.5%) in pediatric oncology, whereas 51.7% expressed that future studies are necessary to determine the anticancer effects of cannabis.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that most pediatric oncologists and palliative care physicians recognize a potential role for cannabis in symptom control in children with cancer. Well-conducted studies are required to create evidence for cannabis use and promote shared decision making with pediatric oncology patients and their caregivers'
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cnr2.1551
In total, 122/259 (47.1%) physicians completed the survey. Although 62.2% of the physicians completed some form of training about medical cannabis, nearly all (95.8%) desired to know more about the dosing, side effects, and safety of cannabis. Physicians identified a potential role of cannabis in the management of nausea and vomiting (85.7%), chronic pain (72.3%), cachexia/poor appetite (67.2%), and anxiety or depression (42.9%). Only four (0.3%) physicians recognized cannabis to be potentially useful as an anticancer agent. Nearly all physicians reported that cannabis-related research for symptom relief is essential (91.5%) in pediatric oncology, whereas 51.7% expressed that future studies are necessary to determine the anticancer effects of cannabis.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that most pediatric oncologists and palliative care physicians recognize a potential role for cannabis in symptom control in children with cancer. Well-conducted studies are required to create evidence for cannabis use and promote shared decision making with pediatric oncology patients and their caregivers'
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cnr2.1551
'The daily consumption of cannabinoid extracts is associated with tumor regression in an elderly patient with lung cancer, according to a case study published in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
British investigators reported on the case of a woman in her 80s diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her lungs. She refused conventional anti-cancer treatments but reported ingesting cannabinoid extracts (21 percent CBD and 20 percent THC) two-to-three times a day for a period of 2.5 years.
CT scans showed a 76 percent reduction in the size of her tumor over this time period.
Authors concluded, “The potential for cannabinoids to be used as an alternative to augment or replace conventional primary cancer treatments definitely justifies further research.”'
https://norml.org/news/2021/10/21/case-report-thc-cbd-administration-associated-with-lung-tumor-regression
British investigators reported on the case of a woman in her 80s diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her lungs. She refused conventional anti-cancer treatments but reported ingesting cannabinoid extracts (21 percent CBD and 20 percent THC) two-to-three times a day for a period of 2.5 years.
CT scans showed a 76 percent reduction in the size of her tumor over this time period.
Authors concluded, “The potential for cannabinoids to be used as an alternative to augment or replace conventional primary cancer treatments definitely justifies further research.”'
https://norml.org/news/2021/10/21/case-report-thc-cbd-administration-associated-with-lung-tumor-regression
'Cannabidiol (CBD), a primary bioactive phytocannabinoid extracted from hemp, is reported to possess potent anti-tumorigenic activity in multiple cancers. However, the effects of CBD on bladder cancer (BC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms are rarely reported. Here, several experiments proved that CBD promoted BC cells (T24, 5637, and UM-UC-3) death. For example, T24 cells were treated with 12 µM CBD for 48 h, flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that early and late apoptotic cells were accounted for by 49.91%, indicating CBD enhanced cell apoptosis ability. To deeper explore molecular mechanisms, the CBD-treated T24 cell transcriptome libraries were established. KEGG analysis implied that the significantly changed genes were enriched in the PI3K/Akt pathway. qRT-PCR and Western blot assays verified that CBD regulated BC cells growth and migration and induced apoptosis by inactivating the PI3K/Akt pathway. Meanwhile, the developed chitosan to wrap CBD-loaded PLGA nanoparticles can significantly enhance the adhesion of the material to the mouse bladder wall, and the binding efficiency of mucin to chitosan-PLGA nanoparticles reached 97.04% ± 1.90%. In summary, this work demonstrates that CBD may become a novel reliable anticancer drug and the developed intravesical adhesion system is expected to turn into a potential means of BC chemotherapy drug delivery'
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/9/1415
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/9/1415
'Prostate cancer is the second most frequently occurring cancer diagnosed among males. Recent preclinical evidence implicates cannabinoids as powerful regulators of cell growth and differentiation. In this review, we focused on studies that demonstrated anticancer effects of cannabinoids and their possible mechanisms of action in prostate cancer. Besides the palliative effects of cannabinoids, research from the past two decades has demonstrated their promising potential as antitumor agents in a wide variety of cancers. This analysis may provide pharmacological insights into the selection of specific cannabinoids for the development of antitumor drugs for the treatment of prostate cancer.'
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/16/4107
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/16/4107
'Results
Cannabidiol reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis in canine urothelial cells as determined by crystal violet viability assay and annexin V/propidium iodide flow cytometry. Furthermore, combinations of cannabidiol with mitoxantrone and vinblastine chemotherapy yielded significantly reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis compared to single agent treatment alone. The drug interactions were deemed synergistic based on combination index calculations. Conversely, the combination of cannabidiol and carboplatin did not result in decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis compared to single agent treatment. Combination index calculations suggested an antagonistic interaction between these drugs. Finally, the combination of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam with cannabidiol did not significantly affect cell viability, although, some cell lines demonstrated decreased cell viability when mitoxantrone was combined with piroxicam.
Conclusions
Cannabidiol showed promising results as a single agent or in combination with mitoxantrone and vinblastine for treatment of canine urothelial carcinoma cells. Further studies are justified to investigate whether these results are translatable in vivo.'
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0255591
Cannabidiol reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis in canine urothelial cells as determined by crystal violet viability assay and annexin V/propidium iodide flow cytometry. Furthermore, combinations of cannabidiol with mitoxantrone and vinblastine chemotherapy yielded significantly reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis compared to single agent treatment alone. The drug interactions were deemed synergistic based on combination index calculations. Conversely, the combination of cannabidiol and carboplatin did not result in decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis compared to single agent treatment. Combination index calculations suggested an antagonistic interaction between these drugs. Finally, the combination of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam with cannabidiol did not significantly affect cell viability, although, some cell lines demonstrated decreased cell viability when mitoxantrone was combined with piroxicam.
Conclusions
Cannabidiol showed promising results as a single agent or in combination with mitoxantrone and vinblastine for treatment of canine urothelial carcinoma cells. Further studies are justified to investigate whether these results are translatable in vivo.'
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0255591
'Conclusion
Cannabinoids have shown to be efficacious both as a single agent and in combination with antineoplastic drugs. These effects have occurred through various receptors and ligands and modulation of signalling pathways involved in hallmarks of cancer pathology. There is a need for further studies to characterise its mode of action at the molecular level and to delineate efficacious dosage and route of administration in addition to synergistic regimes.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00432-021-03710-7
Cannabinoids have shown to be efficacious both as a single agent and in combination with antineoplastic drugs. These effects have occurred through various receptors and ligands and modulation of signalling pathways involved in hallmarks of cancer pathology. There is a need for further studies to characterise its mode of action at the molecular level and to delineate efficacious dosage and route of administration in addition to synergistic regimes.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00432-021-03710-7
'Results
Of 45 gynecologic cancer patients prescribed MM, 89% were receiving chemotherapy; 56% were undergoing primary treatment. MM was used for a median of 5.2 months (range 0.6–25.4). Over 70% of patients reported improvement in nausea/vomiting, compared to 36% of patients using MM for pain relief (p = 0.02). Of 41 patients with follow-up information, 71% found MM improved at least one symptom.
Conclusions
Among a small sample of gynecologic cancer patients prescribed MM for symptom management, self-reported follow-up indicated symptom relief for the majority of patients and minimal therapy-related side effects. This data can prove useful for counseling gynecologic cancer patients on the efficacy and side effects of MM.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352578921001247?via%3Dihub
Of 45 gynecologic cancer patients prescribed MM, 89% were receiving chemotherapy; 56% were undergoing primary treatment. MM was used for a median of 5.2 months (range 0.6–25.4). Over 70% of patients reported improvement in nausea/vomiting, compared to 36% of patients using MM for pain relief (p = 0.02). Of 41 patients with follow-up information, 71% found MM improved at least one symptom.
Conclusions
Among a small sample of gynecologic cancer patients prescribed MM for symptom management, self-reported follow-up indicated symptom relief for the majority of patients and minimal therapy-related side effects. This data can prove useful for counseling gynecologic cancer patients on the efficacy and side effects of MM.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352578921001247?via%3Dihub
'Investigators reported that subjects responded most favorably to extracts containing equal ratios of THC and CBD.
They concluded: “This study provides robust evidence that medicinal cannabis administered to this patient population is safe, well tolerated, and can provide symptomatic relief to these patients. … [It] suggests that cannabis, especially a 1:1 CBD/THC mixture can be helpful for many of the symptoms impacting QoL [quality of life] in this patient population, especially sleep disturbance. As such, MC [medical cannabis] may be a valuable potential therapy for maintaining the best QoL and daily function for this poor prognosis population, [while] also assisting patients during anticancer and potential life extending therapies.”'
https://norml.org/news/2021/07/01/clinical-trial-cannabis-extracts-improve-quality-of-life-in-glioma-patients
They concluded: “This study provides robust evidence that medicinal cannabis administered to this patient population is safe, well tolerated, and can provide symptomatic relief to these patients. … [It] suggests that cannabis, especially a 1:1 CBD/THC mixture can be helpful for many of the symptoms impacting QoL [quality of life] in this patient population, especially sleep disturbance. As such, MC [medical cannabis] may be a valuable potential therapy for maintaining the best QoL and daily function for this poor prognosis population, [while] also assisting patients during anticancer and potential life extending therapies.”'
https://norml.org/news/2021/07/01/clinical-trial-cannabis-extracts-improve-quality-of-life-in-glioma-patients
'Results
Interest in the study was high as 36% of patients who met eligibility criteria ultimately enrolled. The estimated mean daily THC and CBD allotments at 3 M were 34 mg and 17 mg, respectively. A higher proportion of EC patients achieved a reduction in opioid use and improved pain control. No serious safety issues were reported, and patients reported high satisfaction.
Conclusion
Conducting RCTs using a state cannabis program is feasible. The addition of MC to standard oncology care was well-tolerated and may lead to improved pain control and lower opioid requirements. Conducting larger RCTs with MC in state-sponsored programs may guide oncology providers on how to safely and effectively incorporate MC for interested patients.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-021-06301-x
Interest in the study was high as 36% of patients who met eligibility criteria ultimately enrolled. The estimated mean daily THC and CBD allotments at 3 M were 34 mg and 17 mg, respectively. A higher proportion of EC patients achieved a reduction in opioid use and improved pain control. No serious safety issues were reported, and patients reported high satisfaction.
Conclusion
Conducting RCTs using a state cannabis program is feasible. The addition of MC to standard oncology care was well-tolerated and may lead to improved pain control and lower opioid requirements. Conducting larger RCTs with MC in state-sponsored programs may guide oncology providers on how to safely and effectively incorporate MC for interested patients.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-021-06301-x
'Recently, in vitro and in vivo evidence support the effectiveness of phytocannabinoids against various cancer types, in terms of proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis, actions partially due to their ability to regulate signaling pathways critical for cell growth and survival. The aim of this review was to report the current knowledge about the action of phytocannabinoids from Cannabis sativa L. against cancer initiation and progression with a specific regard to brain, breast, colorectal, and lung cancer as well as their possible use in the therapies. We will also report the known molecular mechanisms responsible for such positive effects. Finally, we will describe the actual therapeutic options for Cannabis sativa L. and the ongoing clinical trials'
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/9/2668
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/9/2668
'Subsequently, the effectiveness of phyto- and synthetic cannabinoids mediated by cannabinoid receptors has been demonstrated in the treatment of inflammatory diseases including neurodegenerative diseases as well as gastrointestinal and respiratory inflammations. Another accepted property of cannabinoids is their anti-cancer effects. Cannabinoids were found to be effective in the treatment of lung, colorectal, prostate, breast, pancreas and hepatic cancers. The anticancer effects of cannabinoids were characterized by their anti-proliferative property, inhibition of cancer cells migration, suppression of vascularization and induction of apoptosis.'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/193013/article
https://www.eurekaselect.com/193013/article
'Results
There were 64 respondents included in the analysis. Fourteen participants (N=14/64; 22%) reported use of cannabis, of which half used cannabis for either cancer treatment or symptom management, or both. Leukemia (n=9/14; 64%) was the most frequent diagnosis in children whose caregivers reported using cannabis and the majority of them were still receiving active cancer treatment (N= 5/9; 56%). All of the respondents using cannabis (14/14, 100%) experienced symptom improvement. Most of the caregivers procured cannabis from their friends (N=5/14; 36%), and oil was the most commonly used formulation (N=12/14; 86%). Cannabis-related information was received from another parent (N=4/14; 29%) or from a doctor (N=4/14; 29%). The reported monthly expenditure on cannabis varied widely from less than $50 CAD (N=4/14; 29%) to more than $500 CAD (N=3/14; 21%).
Conclusions
Our survey shows that cannabis, mostly oil products, was used by one-fifth of children with cancer during or after the completion of cancer treatment. These findings require validation in a larger nationwide survey.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-021-06202-z
There were 64 respondents included in the analysis. Fourteen participants (N=14/64; 22%) reported use of cannabis, of which half used cannabis for either cancer treatment or symptom management, or both. Leukemia (n=9/14; 64%) was the most frequent diagnosis in children whose caregivers reported using cannabis and the majority of them were still receiving active cancer treatment (N= 5/9; 56%). All of the respondents using cannabis (14/14, 100%) experienced symptom improvement. Most of the caregivers procured cannabis from their friends (N=5/14; 36%), and oil was the most commonly used formulation (N=12/14; 86%). Cannabis-related information was received from another parent (N=4/14; 29%) or from a doctor (N=4/14; 29%). The reported monthly expenditure on cannabis varied widely from less than $50 CAD (N=4/14; 29%) to more than $500 CAD (N=3/14; 21%).
Conclusions
Our survey shows that cannabis, mostly oil products, was used by one-fifth of children with cancer during or after the completion of cancer treatment. These findings require validation in a larger nationwide survey.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-021-06202-z
'Results: We confirmed that ID1 [DNA binding 1] was a major target downregulated by CBD and also discovered that CBD inhibited FOXM1 (Forkhead box M1), a transcriptional activator involved in cell proliferation, while simultaneously upregulating GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15), a cytokine associated with tissue differentiation.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that, by modulating expression of shared key cancer-driving genes, CBD could represent a promising nontoxic therapeutic for treating tumors of various origins.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2019.0081
Conclusion: Our results suggest that, by modulating expression of shared key cancer-driving genes, CBD could represent a promising nontoxic therapeutic for treating tumors of various origins.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2019.0081
'We found that the majority of individuals from all groups used cannabis to address pain and improve quality of sleep. While PwMS reported lower baseline levels across all five outcomes, we found that the reported effects of cannabis were largely comparable across the groups. We also found that cannabis benefitted persons with sleep and digestive issues regardless of condition, whereas persons who used opioids in addition to cannabis were less likely to experience an improvement in any of the outcomes. This comparative evaluation suggests that cannabis’ effects are not specific to MS, arthritis, or cancer as much as they impact processes common among these distinct conditions. We also found evidence that cannabis may be a viable alternative to opioids for those with these conditions and experiencing pain.'
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/5/532
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/5/532
'In recent years, evidence has accumulated that cannabinoids—especially the non-psychoactive compound, cannabidiol (CBD)—possess promising medical and pharmacological activities that might qualify them as potential anti-tumor drugs. This review is based on multiple studies summarizing different mechanisms for how CBD can target tumor cells including cannabinoid receptors or other constituents of the endocannabinoid system, and their complex activation of biological systems that results in the inhibition of tumor growth. CBD also participates in anti-inflammatory activities which are related to tumor progression, as demonstrated in preclinical models. Although the numbers of clinical trials and tested tumor entities are limited, there is clear evidence that CBD has anti-tumor efficacy and is well tolerated in human cancer patients. In summary, it appears that CBD has potential as a neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant drug in therapy for cancer.'
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/4/582
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/4/582
'Hemp peptides (HP) generated by controlled hydrolysis of hemp proteins have a number of health benefits and are of pharmaceutical value. In the present study, we produce small molecular weight HP from hemp seed and investigate its anticancer properties in Hep3B human liver cancer cells. We demonstrate that HP treatment increased apoptosis, reduced cell viability, and reduced cell migration in Hep3B human liver cancer cells without affecting the normal liver cell line L02. We correlate these phenotypes with increased cellular ROS levels, upregulation of cleaved caspase 3 and Bad, and downregulation of antiapoptotic Bcl-2. HP treatment led to increased Akt and GSK-3ß phosphorylation, with subsequent downregulation of ß-catenin, suggesting ß-catenin signaling modulation as a critical mechanism by which HP exhibits anticancer properties. Our findings suggest HP are of potential therapeutic interest for liver cancer treatment.'
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsn3.1976
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsn3.1976
'Conclusion
The evidence in this systematic review leads to the conclusion that cannabinoids possess anticancer potencies against glioma cells, however this effect varies with the combinations and dosages used. Studies so far were conducted on cells in culture and on mice as well as a small number of studies that were conducted on humans. Hence in order to have more accurate results, higher quality studies mainly including human clinical trials with larger sample sizes are necessitated urgently for GBM treatment.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711321000751?via%3Dihub
The evidence in this systematic review leads to the conclusion that cannabinoids possess anticancer potencies against glioma cells, however this effect varies with the combinations and dosages used. Studies so far were conducted on cells in culture and on mice as well as a small number of studies that were conducted on humans. Hence in order to have more accurate results, higher quality studies mainly including human clinical trials with larger sample sizes are necessitated urgently for GBM treatment.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711321000751?via%3Dihub
'Results
One hundred seven radiation oncologists completed the survey. According to the survey, 36% of respondents would recommend therapeutic cannabis to their patients to mitigate treatment toxicity. Physicians practicing in states where medical marijuana is legal were more likely to recommend it compared to physicians working in states that have not legalized medical marijuana (OR = 3.79, 1.19–12.1, p = 0.01). Seventy-one percent of respondents reported therapeutic cannabis as being effective at least some of the time for managing treatment-related toxicities. Fifty-eight percent of physicians reported lacking sufficient knowledge to advise patients regarding therapeutic cannabis, while 86% of respondents were interested in learning more about therapeutic cannabis for cancer patients.
Conclusions
Although a majority of radiation oncologists believe there are benefits to therapeutic cannabis, many are hesitant to recommend for or against its use. Radiation oncologists appear to be interested in learning more about how therapeutic cannabis may play a role in their patients’ care.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-021-06160-6
One hundred seven radiation oncologists completed the survey. According to the survey, 36% of respondents would recommend therapeutic cannabis to their patients to mitigate treatment toxicity. Physicians practicing in states where medical marijuana is legal were more likely to recommend it compared to physicians working in states that have not legalized medical marijuana (OR = 3.79, 1.19–12.1, p = 0.01). Seventy-one percent of respondents reported therapeutic cannabis as being effective at least some of the time for managing treatment-related toxicities. Fifty-eight percent of physicians reported lacking sufficient knowledge to advise patients regarding therapeutic cannabis, while 86% of respondents were interested in learning more about therapeutic cannabis for cancer patients.
Conclusions
Although a majority of radiation oncologists believe there are benefits to therapeutic cannabis, many are hesitant to recommend for or against its use. Radiation oncologists appear to be interested in learning more about how therapeutic cannabis may play a role in their patients’ care.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-021-06160-6
'A tumor is a mass of swollen tissue. Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia discovered that cannabis is an incredibly successful herb for reducing many types of tumors, both benign and malignant (cancerous). The DEA and other federal agencies had ordered these tumor studies done after hearing erroneous reports of possible immunicological problems associated with cannabis smoke. But, in 1975, instead of health problems, an apparent medical breakthrough occurred and successful tumor reductions were recorded! Following this remarkably positive discovery by the Medical College of Virginia, orders were immediately handed down by the DEA and the National Institutes of Health to defund all further cannabis/tumor research and reporting! Millions of Americans who might be alive today are dead because of these and other DEA orders regarding marijuana. In 1996 and 2006, the Medical College of Virginia again applied to receive grants for cannabis research and again were turned down by the DEA'
- The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer
Since this was written, numerous studies and reports have provided evidence of cannabis for cancer. But, like the DEA, global health officials turn a blind eye and proactively try to suppress cannabis as a form of treatment to protect the multi-billion dollar pharma industry for cancer medicine. Cancer drugs bring in the most revenues for pharma companies. Covid vaccine makers are looking to try and change that. Change is happening from the patient who now is increasingly refusing to take the cancer medication that makes life hell and turning towards cannabis.
Updated Apr 04, 2021 2:04:34pm
Since this was written, numerous studies and reports have provided evidence of cannabis for cancer. But, like the DEA, global health officials turn a blind eye and proactively try to suppress cannabis as a form of treatment to protect the multi-billion dollar pharma industry for cancer medicine. Cancer drugs bring in the most revenues for pharma companies. Covid vaccine makers are looking to try and change that. Change is happening from the patient who now is increasingly refusing to take the cancer medication that makes life hell and turning towards cannabis.
Updated Apr 04, 2021 2:04:34pm
'NCI is supporting researchers to carry out a survey of use in cancer patients. The survey includes tumor types, or which cancers provoke the highest cannabis use, and long-term follow-up. “This is the beginning of our mission to look at cannabis use among people with cancer,” said Gary Ellison, Ph.D., M.P.H., chief of the environmental epidemiology branch in the NCI Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. “The proliferation of laws out there necessitates the need to better assess the impact on health.”
Some scientists suggested that the strongest evidence supporting cannabis use may be for symptom management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Others noted there is very preliminary evidence that cannabis and cannabinoids may help patients sleep better, improve appetite and lessen neuropathic pain associated with HIV, diabetes, and chemotherapy-induced neuropathies. A few researchers want to focus on the possibility that cannabis has anti-cancer activity.'
https://prevention.cancer.gov/news-and-events/blog/cannabis-and-cancer-part-1
Some scientists suggested that the strongest evidence supporting cannabis use may be for symptom management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Others noted there is very preliminary evidence that cannabis and cannabinoids may help patients sleep better, improve appetite and lessen neuropathic pain associated with HIV, diabetes, and chemotherapy-induced neuropathies. A few researchers want to focus on the possibility that cannabis has anti-cancer activity.'
https://prevention.cancer.gov/news-and-events/blog/cannabis-and-cancer-part-1
'The majority of gynecologic oncology patients report that medical cannabis products are either as effective or more effective than prescription medications at mitigating symptoms of cancer and cancer-related treatments, according to data published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology Reports.
Authors concluded: “The majority of patients in our study felt that medical cannabis was equivalent or superior in efficacy to other medications (e.g., opioids, antiemetics, anxiolytics, and sleep aids) in relieving their symptoms. … Of the subset of patients using medical cannabis for pain, 63 percent reported a reduction in opioid use. … These data suggest medical cannabis may be a reasonable alternative or adjunct to medications frequently used for cancer or treatment-related symptoms.”'
https://norml.org/news/2021/03/11/study-majority-of-gynecologic-oncology-patients-say-medical-cannabis-is-as-effective-or-superior-to-prescription-anti-cancer-medicines
Authors concluded: “The majority of patients in our study felt that medical cannabis was equivalent or superior in efficacy to other medications (e.g., opioids, antiemetics, anxiolytics, and sleep aids) in relieving their symptoms. … Of the subset of patients using medical cannabis for pain, 63 percent reported a reduction in opioid use. … These data suggest medical cannabis may be a reasonable alternative or adjunct to medications frequently used for cancer or treatment-related symptoms.”'
https://norml.org/news/2021/03/11/study-majority-of-gynecologic-oncology-patients-say-medical-cannabis-is-as-effective-or-superior-to-prescription-anti-cancer-medicines
'CONCLUSION
The evidence in this systematic review leads to the conclusion that cannabinoids possess anticancer potencies against glioma cells, however this effect varies with the combinations and dosages used. Studies so far were conducted on cells in culture and on mice as well as a small number of studies that were conducted on humans. Hence in order to have more accurate results, higher quality studies mainly including human clinical trials with larger sample sizes are necessitated urgently for GBM [glioblastoma multiforme] treatment.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711321000751
The evidence in this systematic review leads to the conclusion that cannabinoids possess anticancer potencies against glioma cells, however this effect varies with the combinations and dosages used. Studies so far were conducted on cells in culture and on mice as well as a small number of studies that were conducted on humans. Hence in order to have more accurate results, higher quality studies mainly including human clinical trials with larger sample sizes are necessitated urgently for GBM [glioblastoma multiforme] treatment.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711321000751
'Simple Summary: Among primary brain tumours, glioblastoma is the most aggressive. As early relapses are unavoidable despite standard-of-care treatment, the cannabinoids delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol(THC) and cannabidiol(CBD) alone or in combination have been suggested as a combined treatment strategy for glioblastomas. However, the known psychoactive effects of THC hamper its medical applications in these patients with potential cognitive impairment due to the progression of the disease. Therefore, nontoxic cannabigerol(CBG), being recently shown to exhibit anti-tumour properties in some carcinomas, is assayed here for the first time in glioblastoma with the aim to replace THC. We indeed found CBG to effectively impair the relevant hallmarks of glioblastoma progression, with comparable killing effects to THC and in addition inhibiting the invasion of glioblastoma cells. Moreover, CBG can destroy therapy-resistant glioblastoma stem cells, which are the root of cancer development and extremely resistant to various other treatments of this lethal cancer. CBG should present a new yet unexplored adjuvant treatment strategy of glioblastoma.'
https://search.proquest.com/openview/58d8e60e4aa4a7a2ce8b78fb17f6733d/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2032536
https://search.proquest.com/openview/58d8e60e4aa4a7a2ce8b78fb17f6733d/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2032536
'Increasing concentrations of Cannabis sativa (CS) induced A549 cell death in a time-dependent manner, followed by induction of early apoptosis, cell cycle arrest at sub G1 phase, elevation of ROS level, and activation of caspase 3. The CB2 blockage caused attenuation of CS effects on A549 cell death which revealed consistency with the effects of EP extract on A549 cells.
Conclusions
The pro-apoptotic effects of EP and CS extracts on A549 cells and their possible regulatory role of CB2 activity might be attributed to metabolites of both herbs. These effects deserve receiving more attention as alternative anti-cancer agents.'
https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-021-03204-6
Conclusions
The pro-apoptotic effects of EP and CS extracts on A549 cells and their possible regulatory role of CB2 activity might be attributed to metabolites of both herbs. These effects deserve receiving more attention as alternative anti-cancer agents.'
https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-021-03204-6
'Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the most popular emerging plant extracts that is being investigated for its wide range of potential health benefits. This experiment tests how B16 mice melanoma cells, are affected by four different concentrations (0.2 mg/mL, 0.04 mg/mL, 0.008 mg/mL and 0.0016 mg/mL) of 99% CBD oil. The results of this experiment demonstrate that CBD significantly inhibited melanoma cell growth in-vitro at 0.2 mg/mL and 0.04 mg/mL. This shows that CBD has the potential to inhibit melanoma cell growth in vertebrates, namely mice.'
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15321819.2020.1862863
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15321819.2020.1862863
'The objectives of our study were to explore the anti-proliferative and cell death response associated with in vitro treatment of canine cancer cell lines with CBD alone and combination with common chemotherapeutics, as well as investigation into major proliferative pathways (e.g. p38, JNK, AKT, mTOR) potentially involved in the response to treatment with CBD. CBD significantly reduced canine cancer cell proliferation far better than cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) across five canine neoplastic cell lines when treated with concentrations ranging from 2.5-10 µg/mL. Combinatory treatment with CBD and vincristine reduced cell proliferation in a synergistic or additive manner at anti-proliferative concentrations with less clear results using doxorubicin in combination with CBD. The cellular signaling effects of CBD treatment, showed that autophagy supervened induction of apoptosis and may be related to prompt induction of ERK and JNK phosphorylation prior to autophagy. In conclusion, CBD is effective at hindering cell proliferation and induction of autophagy and apoptosis rapidly across neoplastic cell lines and further clinical trials are needed to understand its efficacy and interactions with traditional chemotherapy.'
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/vco.12669
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/vco.12669
'Cannabidiol (CBD) has anti-tumorigenic activity. However, the anti-cancer effect of CBD on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. The cytotoxicity of CBD on HNSCC was analyzed using cell survival and colony-forming assays in vitro. RNA-seq was used for determining the mechanism underlying CBD-induced cell death. Xenograft mouse models were used to determine CBD’s effects in vivo. CBD treatment significantly reduced migration/invasion and viability of HNSCC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. HNSCC mouse xenograft models revealed anti-tumor effects of CBD. Furthermore, combinational treatment with CBD enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs. Apoptosis and autophagy processes were involved in CBD-induced cytotoxicity of HNSCCs. RNA-seq identified decreased expression of genes associated with DNA repair, cell division, and cell proliferation, which were involved in CBD-mediated cytotoxicity toward HNSCCs. We identified CBD as a new potential anti-cancer compound for single or combination therapy of HNSCC.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77674-y
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77674-y
'Among cancer patients ages 65 or older, eight percent of tested positive for cannabis exposure. A separate study published in October in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that an estimated 25 percent of cancer patients self-report using cannabis medicinally, but that paper did not stratify respondents by age.
“As one of the first studies to assess cannabis use via objective testing rather than self-report, this study adds significantly to the emerging literature on cannabis use in people aged 65 years and older,” researchers concluded. “Findings suggest the rate of use in older adults living with cancer is higher than that among older adults in the general population.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/11/19/study-eight-percent-of-older-cancer-patients-are-using-cannabis
“As one of the first studies to assess cannabis use via objective testing rather than self-report, this study adds significantly to the emerging literature on cannabis use in people aged 65 years and older,” researchers concluded. “Findings suggest the rate of use in older adults living with cancer is higher than that among older adults in the general population.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/11/19/study-eight-percent-of-older-cancer-patients-are-using-cannabis
'The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the antitumor effects of cannabinoids in B cell lymphoma using canine as a model due to striking similarities b/w canine and human B cell lymphoma in histology, biology and gene expression. For this study, Canine B cell lymphoma cell lines 1771 and CLBL1 were cultured in RPMI. Expression of cannabinoid receptors studied using qPCR. Based on receptor expression cells were treated with receptor agonists (AEA, 2AG, CBD, THC, WIN and HU-210,) and antagonists (S16 and S28). Cell viability assessed using MTT assay. Biochemical analysis performed using spectrofluorometry to evaluate apoptotic makers involved in inducing cell death. Data was analyzed using ordinary one way ANOVA on Prism software. All B cell lymphoma cell lines showed positive expression of CB1 and CB2 receptors. Cell viability assay demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation with all cannabinoid receptor agonists used except for 2AG. Biochemical analysis showed a decrease in nitrite and caspase activity in treated cells as compared to control untreated cells. Our results suggest that cannabinoids have an anti-proliferative and apoptotic effect on canine lymphoma cells and it can be developed as a potential anti-cancer agent for the treatment of canine and human B cell lymphoma.'
https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/80/21_Supplement/PO-047.short
https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/80/21_Supplement/PO-047.short
'Twenty-five percent of survey respondents, a percentage that researchers acknowledged is consistent with prior studies, reported having used cannabis. Investigators reported that “the vast majority of patients believe MC [medical cannabis] use to have resulted in improvement of the symptoms that were assessed, especially pain, poor appetite, and anxiety.”
Authors concluded: “This survey adds to the growing body of evidence that MC is a safe and potentially effective adjunct to conventional medications for the palliation of cancer patients.
… Given the increasing prevalence of MC use among cancer patients, it is imperative that hematologist and oncologists become comfortable with discussing this topic with patients.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/10/29/survey-one-in-five-cancer-patients-report-using-medical-cannabis/
Authors concluded: “This survey adds to the growing body of evidence that MC is a safe and potentially effective adjunct to conventional medications for the palliation of cancer patients.
… Given the increasing prevalence of MC use among cancer patients, it is imperative that hematologist and oncologists become comfortable with discussing this topic with patients.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/10/29/survey-one-in-five-cancer-patients-report-using-medical-cannabis/
'Results
A total of 81 participants were randomised; 72 completing two cycles were included in the efficacy analyses and 78 not withdrawing consent were included in safety analyses. Median age was 55 years (range 29–80 years); 78% were female. Complete response was improved with THC:CBD from 14% to 25% (relative risk 1.77, 90% confidence interval 1.12–2.79, P = 0.041), with similar effects on absence of emesis, use of rescue medications, absence of significant nausea, and summary scores for the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE). Thirty-one percent experienced moderate or severe cannabinoid-related adverse events such as sedation, dizziness, or disorientation, but 83% of participants preferred cannabis to placebo. No serious adverse events were attributed to THC:CBD.
Conclusion
The addition of oral THC:CBD to standard antiemetics was associated with less nausea and vomiting but additional side-effects. Most participants preferred THC:CBD to placebo. Based on these promising results, we plan to recruit an additional 170 participants to complete accrual for the definitive, phase III, parallel group analysis'
https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534%2820%2939996-8/fulltext
A total of 81 participants were randomised; 72 completing two cycles were included in the efficacy analyses and 78 not withdrawing consent were included in safety analyses. Median age was 55 years (range 29–80 years); 78% were female. Complete response was improved with THC:CBD from 14% to 25% (relative risk 1.77, 90% confidence interval 1.12–2.79, P = 0.041), with similar effects on absence of emesis, use of rescue medications, absence of significant nausea, and summary scores for the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE). Thirty-one percent experienced moderate or severe cannabinoid-related adverse events such as sedation, dizziness, or disorientation, but 83% of participants preferred cannabis to placebo. No serious adverse events were attributed to THC:CBD.
Conclusion
The addition of oral THC:CBD to standard antiemetics was associated with less nausea and vomiting but additional side-effects. Most participants preferred THC:CBD to placebo. Based on these promising results, we plan to recruit an additional 170 participants to complete accrual for the definitive, phase III, parallel group analysis'
https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534%2820%2939996-8/fulltext
'An Indiana University professor reviewed 34 studies assessing whether the use of cannabis was associated with either an elevated or a reduced risk of developing certain types of cancers.
His review determined that cannabis use was negatively associated with the occurrence of various types of cancers, excluding testicular cancer. Use was most strongly correlated with a reduced risk of developing cancers of the head and neck.
The study concluded: “The current analysis suggests an association of cannabis use with a substantial decrease in risk of non-testicular cancers, with moderate effect size, and a non-significant increase in risk of testicular cancer, with negligible effect size. This suggests that cannabis use may substantially decrease the death rate from cancer in the United States.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/09/24/review-paper-suggests-that-cannabis-use-is-negatively-associated-with-cancer-risk
His review determined that cannabis use was negatively associated with the occurrence of various types of cancers, excluding testicular cancer. Use was most strongly correlated with a reduced risk of developing cancers of the head and neck.
The study concluded: “The current analysis suggests an association of cannabis use with a substantial decrease in risk of non-testicular cancers, with moderate effect size, and a non-significant increase in risk of testicular cancer, with negligible effect size. This suggests that cannabis use may substantially decrease the death rate from cancer in the United States.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/09/24/review-paper-suggests-that-cannabis-use-is-negatively-associated-with-cancer-risk
'All studies have reported that the treatment of prostate cancers in in vivo/xenograft models with various cannabinoids decreased the size of the tumor, the outcomes of which depended on the dose and length of treatment. Within the limitation of these identified studies, cannabinoids were shown to reduce the size of prostate cancer tumors in animal models.'
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/6265
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/6265
'Melanoma is the fourth most common type of cancer diagnosed in Australians after breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. While there has been substantial progress in the treatment of cancer in general, malignant melanoma, in particular, is resistant to existing medical therapies requiring an urgent need to develop effective treatments with lesser side effects. Several studies have shown that “cannabinoids”, the major compounds of the Cannabis sativaL. plant, can reduce cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in melanoma cells. Despite prohibited use of Cannabis in most parts of the world, in recent years there have been renewed interests in exploiting the beneficial health effects of the Cannabis plant-derived compounds. Therefore, the aim of this study was in the first instance to review the evidence from in vivo studies on the effects of cannabinoids on melanoma. Systematic searches were carried out in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and ProQuest Central databases for relevant articles published from inception. From a total of 622 potential studies, six in vivo studies assessing the use of cannabinoids for treatment of melanoma were deemed eligible for the final analysis. The findings revealed cannabinoids, individually or combined, reduced tumor growth and promoted apoptosis and autophagy in melanoma cells.'
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/6040
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/6040
'Results
81 participants were randomised; 72 completing 2 cycles are included in the efficacy analyses and 78 not withdrawing consent are included in safety analyses. Median age was 55 years (range 29-80). 78% were female. Complete response was improved with THC:CBD from 14% to 25% (RR 1.77, 90% CI 1.12, 2.79, P=0.041), with similar effects on absence of emesis, use of rescue medications, absence of significant nausea, and summary scores for the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE). 31% experienced moderate or severe cannabinoid-related adverse events such as sedation, dizziness, disorientation; but 83% of participants preferred cannabis to placebo. No serious adverse events were attributed to THC:CBD.
Conclusion
The addition of oral THC:CBD to standard anti-emetics was associated with less nausea and vomiting but additional side effects. Most participants preferred THC:CBD to placebo. Based on these promising results, we plan to recruit an additional 170 participants to complete accrual for the definitive, phase 3, parallel group analysis.'
https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(20)39996-8/fulltext
81 participants were randomised; 72 completing 2 cycles are included in the efficacy analyses and 78 not withdrawing consent are included in safety analyses. Median age was 55 years (range 29-80). 78% were female. Complete response was improved with THC:CBD from 14% to 25% (RR 1.77, 90% CI 1.12, 2.79, P=0.041), with similar effects on absence of emesis, use of rescue medications, absence of significant nausea, and summary scores for the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE). 31% experienced moderate or severe cannabinoid-related adverse events such as sedation, dizziness, disorientation; but 83% of participants preferred cannabis to placebo. No serious adverse events were attributed to THC:CBD.
Conclusion
The addition of oral THC:CBD to standard anti-emetics was associated with less nausea and vomiting but additional side effects. Most participants preferred THC:CBD to placebo. Based on these promising results, we plan to recruit an additional 170 participants to complete accrual for the definitive, phase 3, parallel group analysis.'
https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(20)39996-8/fulltext
'Results. Eight in vivo experimental studies were included in the analysis after the full-text evaluation. Seven studies were azoxymethane (AOM) colorectal cancer models, and four studies were xenograft models. Cannabidiol botanical substance (CBD BS) and rimonabant achieved high aberrant crypt foci (ACF) reduction (86% and 75.4%, respectively). Cannabigerol, O-1602, and URB-602 demonstrated a high capacity for tumor volume reduction. Induction of apoptosis, interaction with cell survival, growth pathways, and angiogenesis inhibition were the mechanisms extracted from the studies that explain cannabinoids’ actions on CRC. Conclusions. Cannabinoids have incredible potential as antineoplastic agents as experimental models demonstrate that they can reduce tumor volume and ACF formation. It is crucial to conduct more experimental studies to understand the pharmacology of cannabinoids in CRC better.'
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2020/2371527/
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2020/2371527/
'In cancer, the endocannabinoid system is altered in numerous types of tumours and can relate to cancer prognosis and disease outcome. Additionally, cannabinoids display anticancer effects in several models by suppressing the proliferation, migration and/or invasion of cancer cells, as well as tumour angiogenesis. However, the therapeutic use of cannabinoids is currently limited to the treatment of symptoms and pain associated with chemotherapy, while their potential use as cytotoxic drugs in chemotherapy still requires validation in patients. Along with cannabinoids, cannabis contains several other compounds that have also been shown to exert anti-tumorigenic actions.'
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/7/1985
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/7/1985
So we contaminate our environment, food and water with dangerous man-made chemicals in the pursuit of quick money. These chemicals cause cancers in our bodies. To treat these cancers we make dangerous synthetic drugs, in the pursuit of quick money, that not only fail to treat the cancers, but also result in a collapse of most other body systems. This leads to a weakening and collapse of humans on increasingly larger scales as time goes by. But we do nothing to stop the contamination and weakening of our bodies that evolved over hundreds of millions of years and the contamination of our environment, food and water. Instead we continue searching for more powerful man made chemicals, to make more money faster, in the name of medicine for our environment, bodies and minds believing that we are masters of nature or, if not that, smarter than nature, whom we can fool like our gullible fellow men...but nature is not looking to make more money faster..she only deals in life and death...
'Where pesticides are involved, the chemicals that figure most prominently in the case histories are DDT, lindane, benzene hexachloride, the nitrophenols, the common moth crystal paradichlorobenzene, chlordane, and, of course, the solvents in which they are carried. As this physician emphasizes, pure exposure to a single chemical is the exception, rather than the rule. The commercial product usually contains combinations of several chemicals, suspended in a petroleum distillate plus some dispersing agent. The aromatic cyclic and unsaturated hydrocarbons of the vehicle may themselves be a factor in the damage done [to] the blood-forming organs. From the practical rather than the medical standpoint this distinction is of little importance, however, because these petroleum solvents are an inseparable part of most common spraying practices.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Measured by the standards established by Warburg, most pesticides meet the criterion of the perfect carcinogen too well for comfort. As we have seen in the preceding chapter, many of the chlorinated hydrocarbons, the phenols, and some herbicides interfere with oxidation and energy production within the cell. By this means they may be creating sleeping cancer cells, in which an irreversible malignancy will slumber undetected until finally - its cause long forgotten and even unsuspected - it flares into the open as recognizable cancer.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Today we find our world filled with cancer-producing agents. An attack on cancer that is concentrated wholly or even largely on therapeutic measures (even assuming a 'cure' could be found) in Dr. Heuper's opinion will fail because it leaves untouched the great reservoirs of carcinogenic agents which would continue to claim new victims faster than the as yet 'elusive' cure could allay the disease.
Why have we been so slow to adopt this common-sense approach to the cancer problem? Probably 'the goal of curing victims of cancer is more exciting, more tangible, more glamourous and rewarding than prevention,' says Dr. Heuper. Yet to prevent cancer from ever being formed is 'definitely more humane' and can be 'much more effective than cancer cures'. Dr. Heuper has little patience with the wishful thinking that promises 'a magic pill that we shall take every morning before breakfast' as protection against cancer. Part of the public trust in such an eventual outcome results from the misconception that cancer is a single, though mysterious disease, with a single cause and, hopefully, a single cure. This of course is far from the known truth. Just as environmental cancers are induced by a wide variety of chemical and physical agents, so the malignant condition itself is manifested in many different and biologically distinct ways.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'There is still very limited awareness of the nature of the threat. This is an era of specialists, each of whom sees his own problem and is unaware or intolerant of the larger frame into which it fits. It is also an era dominated by industry, in which the right to make a dollar at whatever cost is seldom challenged. When the public protests, confronted with some obvious evidence of damaging results of pesticide applications, it is fed little tranquilizing pills of half truth. We urgently need an end to these false assurances, to the sugar coating of unpalatable facts. It is the public that is being asked to assume the risks that the insect controllers calculate. The public must decide whether it wishes to continue on the present road, and it can only do so when it is in full possesion of the facts. In the words of Jean Rostand, 'The obligation to endure gives us the right to know.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'As ground and surface waters are contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals, there is danger that not only poisonous but also cancer-producing substances are being introduced into public water supplies. Dr. W. C. Hueper of the National Cancer Institute has warned that 'the danger of cancer hazards from the consumption of contaminated drinking water will grow considerably within the foreseeable future.' And indeed a study made in Holland in the early 1950s provides support for the view that polluted waterways may carry a cancer hazard. Cities recieving their drinking water from rivers had a higher death rate from cancer than did those whose water came from sources presumably less susceptible to pollution such as wells.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'These insecticides are not selective poisons; they do not single out the one species of which we desire to be rid. Each of them is used for the simple reason that it is a deadly poison. It therefore poisons all life with which it comes in contact: the cat beloved of some family, the farmer's cattle, the rabbit in the field, and the horned lark out of the sky. These creatures are innocent of any harm to man. Indeed by their very existence they and their fellows make his life more pleasant. Yet he rewards them with a death that is not only sudden but horrible.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'The fisheries of fresh and salt water are a resource of great importance, involving the interests and the welfare of a very large number of people. That they are now seriously threatened by the chemicals entering our waters can no longer be doubted. If we could divert to constructive research even a small fraction of the money spent each year on the development of even more toxic sprays, we could find ways to use less dangerous materials and to keep poisons out of our waterways. When will the public become sufficiently aware of the facts to demand such action? - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'In short the Department of Agriculture embarked on its program without even elementary investigation of what was already known about the chemical to be used - or if it investigated, it ignored the findings. It must also have failed to do the preliminary research to discover the minimum amount of the chemical that would accomplish its purpose. After three years of heavy dosages, it abruptly reduced the rate of application of heptachlor from 2 pounds to 1 and 1/4 pounds per acre in 1959; later on to 1/2 pound per acre, applied in two treatments of 1/4 pound each, 3 to 6 months apart. An official of the Department explained that 'an aggressive methods improvement program' showed the lower rate to be effective. Had this information been acquired before the program was launched, a vast amount of damage could have been avoided and the taxpayers could have been saved a great deal of money.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'This system, however - deliberately poisoning our food, then policing the result - is too reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's White Knight who thought of 'a plan to dye one's whiskers green, and always use so large a fan that they could not be seen.' The ultimate answer is to use less toxic chemicals so that the public hazard from their misuse is greatly reduced.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'We know that even single exposures to these chemicals, if the amount is large enough, can precipitate acute poisoning. But this is not the major problem. The sudden illness or death of farmers, spraymen, pilots, and others exposed to appreciable quantities of pesticides are tragic and should not occur. For the population as a whole, we must be more concerned with the delayed effects of absorbing small amounts of pesticides that invisibly contaminate our world.
Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are cumulative over long periods of time, and that the hazard to the individual may depend on the sum of the exposures recieved throughout his lifetime. For these very reasons the danger is easily ignored. It is human nature to shrug off what may seem to us a vague threat of future disaster. 'Men are naturally most impressed by disease which have obvious manifestations.' says a wise physician, Dr. Rene Dubos, 'yet some of their worst enemies creep on them unobtrusively.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'The major features of cellular organization, including, for instance, mitosis, must be much older than 500 million years old - more nearly 1000 million,' wrote Geroge Gaylord Simpson and his colleagues Pittendrigh and Tiffany in their broadly encompassing book entitled Life. 'In this sense the world of life, which is surely fragile and complex, is incredibly durable through time - more durable than mountains. This durability is wholly dependent on the almost incredible accuracy with which the inherited information is copied from generation to generation.'
But in all the thousand million years envisioned by these authors no threat has struck so directly and so forcefully at that 'incredible accuracy' as the mid-20th century threat of man-made radiation and man-made and man-disseminated chemicals. Sir Macfarlane Burnet, a distinguished Australian physician and a Nobel Prize winner, considers it 'one of the most significant medical features' of our time that, 'as a by-product of more and more powerful therapeutic procedures and the production of chemical substances outside of biological experiences, the normal protective barriers that kept mutagenic agents from the internal organs have been more and more frequently penetrated.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'As yet insufficient time has elapsed to reveal the full effect of the new chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides and of the modern herbicides. Most malignancies develop so slowly that they may require a considerable segment of the victim's life to reach the stage of showing clinical symptoms. In the early 1920s women who painted luminous figures on watch dials swallowed minute amounts of radium by touching the brushes to their lips; in some of these women bone cancers developed after a lapse of 15 or more years. A period of 15 to 30 years or even more has been demonstrated for some cancers caused by occupational exposures to chemical carcinogens.
In contrast to these industrial exposures to various carcinogens the first exposures to DDT date from about 1942 for military personnel and from about 1945 for civilians, and it was not until the early fifties that a wide variety of pesticidal chemicals came into use. The full maturing of whatever seeds of malignancy have been sown by these chemicals is yet to come.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Dr Riley indicated that the SRC also has the capabilities to test the entire spectrum of terpenes — the taste profiles and aroma of cannabis — which have been linked to the treatment of cancer in a recent university study.
“Public safety is one of the major focuses of the SRC, and we aim to always use advanced technologies to ensure that precise information is provided, which can guide policy and can also inform the public in terms of making good decisions,” Dr Riley emphasised.'
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/medical-cannabis-related-evaluations-begin-september_173511?profile=1373
'It has also been submitted that while enacting the NDPS Act, the government failed to consider the medicinal benefits of the drug, including its effect as an analgesic, its role in fighting cancer, reducing nausea, and increasing appetite in HIV patients.'
https://swarajyamag.com/insta/delhi-high-court-seeks-centres-take-on-use-of-cannabis-after-a-petition-challenges-ndps-act
'Cannabis exposure does not negatively impact the lungs in a manner consistent with tobacco, nor is it similarly linked to elevated rates of either COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or lung cancer, according a literature review published in the journal Addiction.
A team of New Zealand researchers reviewed clinical trial data assessing the impact of cannabis smoke exposure on the lungs. They report that "the effects of smoking cannabis on the lungs are distinct from tobacco."
Specifically, they write: "[I]t has been pragmatic to assume that cannabis and tobacco would have similar respiratory effects. ... The research that has been done, however, offers a different story. The most common serious respiratory consequences from smoking tobacco are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Epidemiological evidence that smoking cannabis causes either of these is scant."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/04/23/review-cannabis-smoke-exposure-is-distinct-from-tobacco-not-associated-with-copd-or-lung-cancer
'Grade IV glioblastoma multiforme is a deadly disease, with a median survival of around 14 to 16 months. Maximal resection followed by adjuvant radiochemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment since many years, although survival is only extended by a few months. In recent years, an increasing number of data from in vitro and in vivo research with cannabinoids, particularly with the non-intoxicating cannabidiol (CBD), point to their potential role as tumour-inhibiting agents. Herein, a total of nine consecutive patients with brain tumours are described as case series; all patients received CBD in a daily dose of 400 mg concomitantly to the standard therapeutic procedure of maximal resection followed by radiochemotherapy. By the time of the submission of this article, all but one patient are still alive with a mean survival time of 22.3 months (range=7-47 months). This is longer than what would have been expected. '
http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/39/10/5797.short
'Results: We confirmed that ID1 was a major target downregulated by CBD and also discovered that CBD inhibited FOXM1 (Forkhead box M1), a transcriptional activator involved in cell proliferation, while simultaneously upregulating GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15), a cytokine associated with tissue differentiation.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that, by modulating expression of shared key cancer-driving genes, CBD could represent a promising nontoxic therapeutic for treating tumors of various origins'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2019.0081
'Adalimumab, sold under the brand name Humira among others, is a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, uveitis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Use is generally only recommended in people who have not responded to other treatments. It is used by injection under the skin.
Common side effects include upper respiratory tract infections, pain at the site of injection, rash, and headache. Other side effects may include serious infections, cancer, anaphylaxis, reactivation of hepatitis B, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, liver failure, and aplastic anemia.
It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. There is strong evidence that adalimumab increases risk of serious infections, such as tuberculosis. It also increases the risk of cancers, including lymphoma and solid malignancies. The risk of cancer is higher with higher doses of adalimumab'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalimumab
'Various phytocannabinoids exhibit antitumor effects in a wide array of cell lines and animal models. On T-cell leukemia cell lines, combinations of THC and CBD, as well as CBD and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), were found to elicit cell death when each phytocannabinoid was used alone or in combination with each other. In addition, THC and/or CBD enhanced anti-leukemia chemotherapy activity in vitro. However, the effect of pure cannabinoids or cannabis extracts on CTCLs is unknown. In addition, despite accumulating knowledge regarding the anti-cancer activity of phytocannabinoids, CB agonists and antagonists, little is known of anti-cancer activity resulting from mixtures of compounds from whole cannabis plant extracts. This may be significant, as in some cases the unrefined content of cannabis inflorescence is superior to isolated compounds.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7138167/
'I think the world is just now finding out the beauty of cannabis and everything it can do for you. I hear people talk how it’s good for cancer patients. C’mon, it’s good for any fucking patient! The radiation zapped my salivary glands so I couldn’t make spit, which made it really hard to swallow and get food down. They gave me this crazy mouthwash to use that had Benadryl and lidocaine in it, but I still couldn’t eat. So cannabis helped with that, except I got a terrible craving for kiddie cereal. I went to the store and got, like, 20 boxes.” '
https://www.loudersound.com/features/how-dave-mustaine-took-on-cancer-and-won
'Results: Of the 21 participants enrolled (CBD, n = 16; THC, n = 5), 18 (86%) completed the primary outcome measure at day 14 and 8 completed at day 28. The median maximum tolerated doses were CBD, 300 mg/day (range 100–600 mg); THC, 10 mg/day (range 5–30 mg). Nine of 21 patients (43%) met the definition of response (=6 point reduction in TSDS). Drowsiness was the most common AE.
Conclusions: Trials of medicinal cannabis in advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care are feasible. The doses of THC and CBD used in this study were generally well tolerated and the outcome measure of total symptom distress is promising as a measure of overall symptom benefit.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7232640/
'Cannabis has been used to relieve the symptoms of disease for thousands of years. However, social and political biases have limited effective interrogation of the potential benefits of cannabis and polarised public opinion. Further, the medicinal and clinical utility of cannabis is limited by the psychotropic side effects of ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (?9-THC). Evidence is emerging for the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, with potential efficacy as an analgesic and antiemetic for the management of cancer-related pain and treatment-related nausea and vomiting, respectively. An increasing number of preclinical studies have established that ?9-THC can inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancerous cells through the modulation of cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R), but clinical confirmation remains lacking. In parallel, the anti-cancer properties of non-THC cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), are linked to the modulation of non-CB1R/CB2R G-protein-coupled receptors, neurotransmitter receptors, and ligand-regulated transcription factors, which together modulate oncogenic signalling and redox homeostasis. Additional evidence has also demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabinoids, and this may prove relevant in the context of peritumoural oedema and the tumour immune microenvironment. This review aims to document the emerging mechanisms of anti-cancer actions of non-THC cannabinoids.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7226605/
'Treatment of GBM [glioblastoma] is currently based on surgical removal followed by radiotherapy and the administration of temozolomide, as adjuvant therapy. However, the median survival of patients is of 5 years following initial diagnosis. For this reason, new therapeutic strategies are necessary to improve the prognosis of the disease as well as the quality of life of patients. Cannabinoid specific receptors CB1 and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), involved in the control of cell proliferation, differentiation and survival, are distributed in brain and are expressed in different cell types, such as astrocytes, microglia and glioblastoma cells; therefore, targeting CB receptors might represent an interesting strategy. Cannabinoids are constituents of the plant Cannabis sativa and cannabis constituents have been used in traditional medicine thanks to their curative properties. Among them, phytocannabinoids, cannabinol, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol or ß-caryophyllene (BCP) have been extracted to avoid psychoactive activity related to cannabinoid ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In vivo studies described the cannabinoids mechanism of action on cancers, indicating that CB agonists act (i) inducing cell death processes such as apoptosis and/or autophagy and (ii) inhibiting cell proliferation. BCP is a bicyclic sesquiterpene whose possible efficacy has been yet described on cancer cells. In addition, an in vivo study demonstrated that BCP treatment may modulate inflammation through a crosstalk between CB2 receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-?). However, the effects of BCP on glioblastoma have not been yet deeply investigated and the exact mechanism of action of BCP has to be deeply explained. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate BCP effects in an in vitro model of glioblastoma.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7226353/
'Conclusions: Latest available prevalence estimates indicate that a significant proportion of patients in the United States with cancer use cannabis and/or cannabinoids (18.3-40.0%). There is substantial evidence for the effectiveness of cannabis and cannabinoids in treating cancer-related pain; specifically, oromucosal THC/CBD spray. There is conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of cannabis and cannabinoids in relieving chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting; specifically, oral THC.'
https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2020.38.15_suppl.12091
Is it a case of oncology specialists lacking knowledge about cannabis or having excellent knowledge about which blockbuster cancer drugs top the pharma sales charts?
'According to the survey, 24.5 percent of respondents attending an oncology office in Michigan said that they used medical cannabis. Of those, 81 percent said that it mitigated their pain, 77 percent said that it improved their appetite, and 73 percent said that it reduced their anxiety. Fifty-five percent said that cannabis “improved their ability to tolerate [cancer] treatment.”
However, separate survey data published in the journal Clinical Oncology reported that many oncology health care specialists remain unwilling to explicitly recommend cannabis therapy to their patients. Investigators reported that 84 percent of respondents “believed that they lacked sufficient knowledge about cannabis to make recommendations.” More than six in ten expressed concerns over their inability to recommend a specific cannabis dosing regimen to their patients.'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/18/cancer-patients-frequently-turning-to-cannabis-but-many-oncology-specialists-still-reluctant-to-recommend-it
'While Grinspoon’s accolades and leadership positions in medicine played a major role in how important his voice was to the cause, it was also the voice of a father who had deeply personal experiences with medical cannabis. As his son Danny battled terminal cancer, Grinspoon witnessed the benefits of medical cannabis to someone going through an aggressive chemotherapy regime.
Danny lost his life to leukemia, but the lessons his father learned in helping him live a better quality of life would go on to help millions. As cannabis rose to prominence in the last 20 years, it’s undeniable the tale of a Harvard Medical School professor and his son went a long way to calming nerves around what was still a very illicit substance in the eyes of so many.'
https://www.laweekly.com/the-cannabis-world-mourns-dr-lester-grinspoon/
'Where pesticides are involved, the chemicals that figure most prominently in the case histories are DDT, lindane, benzene hexachloride, the nitrophenols, the common moth crystal paradichlorobenzene, chlordane, and, of course, the solvents in which they are carried. As this physician emphasizes, pure exposure to a single chemical is the exception, rather than the rule. The commercial product usually contains combinations of several chemicals, suspended in a petroleum distillate plus some dispersing agent. The aromatic cyclic and unsaturated hydrocarbons of the vehicle may themselves be a factor in the damage done [to] the blood-forming organs. From the practical rather than the medical standpoint this distinction is of little importance, however, because these petroleum solvents are an inseparable part of most common spraying practices.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Measured by the standards established by Warburg, most pesticides meet the criterion of the perfect carcinogen too well for comfort. As we have seen in the preceding chapter, many of the chlorinated hydrocarbons, the phenols, and some herbicides interfere with oxidation and energy production within the cell. By this means they may be creating sleeping cancer cells, in which an irreversible malignancy will slumber undetected until finally - its cause long forgotten and even unsuspected - it flares into the open as recognizable cancer.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Today we find our world filled with cancer-producing agents. An attack on cancer that is concentrated wholly or even largely on therapeutic measures (even assuming a 'cure' could be found) in Dr. Heuper's opinion will fail because it leaves untouched the great reservoirs of carcinogenic agents which would continue to claim new victims faster than the as yet 'elusive' cure could allay the disease.
Why have we been so slow to adopt this common-sense approach to the cancer problem? Probably 'the goal of curing victims of cancer is more exciting, more tangible, more glamourous and rewarding than prevention,' says Dr. Heuper. Yet to prevent cancer from ever being formed is 'definitely more humane' and can be 'much more effective than cancer cures'. Dr. Heuper has little patience with the wishful thinking that promises 'a magic pill that we shall take every morning before breakfast' as protection against cancer. Part of the public trust in such an eventual outcome results from the misconception that cancer is a single, though mysterious disease, with a single cause and, hopefully, a single cure. This of course is far from the known truth. Just as environmental cancers are induced by a wide variety of chemical and physical agents, so the malignant condition itself is manifested in many different and biologically distinct ways.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'There is still very limited awareness of the nature of the threat. This is an era of specialists, each of whom sees his own problem and is unaware or intolerant of the larger frame into which it fits. It is also an era dominated by industry, in which the right to make a dollar at whatever cost is seldom challenged. When the public protests, confronted with some obvious evidence of damaging results of pesticide applications, it is fed little tranquilizing pills of half truth. We urgently need an end to these false assurances, to the sugar coating of unpalatable facts. It is the public that is being asked to assume the risks that the insect controllers calculate. The public must decide whether it wishes to continue on the present road, and it can only do so when it is in full possesion of the facts. In the words of Jean Rostand, 'The obligation to endure gives us the right to know.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'As ground and surface waters are contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals, there is danger that not only poisonous but also cancer-producing substances are being introduced into public water supplies. Dr. W. C. Hueper of the National Cancer Institute has warned that 'the danger of cancer hazards from the consumption of contaminated drinking water will grow considerably within the foreseeable future.' And indeed a study made in Holland in the early 1950s provides support for the view that polluted waterways may carry a cancer hazard. Cities recieving their drinking water from rivers had a higher death rate from cancer than did those whose water came from sources presumably less susceptible to pollution such as wells.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'These insecticides are not selective poisons; they do not single out the one species of which we desire to be rid. Each of them is used for the simple reason that it is a deadly poison. It therefore poisons all life with which it comes in contact: the cat beloved of some family, the farmer's cattle, the rabbit in the field, and the horned lark out of the sky. These creatures are innocent of any harm to man. Indeed by their very existence they and their fellows make his life more pleasant. Yet he rewards them with a death that is not only sudden but horrible.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'The fisheries of fresh and salt water are a resource of great importance, involving the interests and the welfare of a very large number of people. That they are now seriously threatened by the chemicals entering our waters can no longer be doubted. If we could divert to constructive research even a small fraction of the money spent each year on the development of even more toxic sprays, we could find ways to use less dangerous materials and to keep poisons out of our waterways. When will the public become sufficiently aware of the facts to demand such action? - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'In short the Department of Agriculture embarked on its program without even elementary investigation of what was already known about the chemical to be used - or if it investigated, it ignored the findings. It must also have failed to do the preliminary research to discover the minimum amount of the chemical that would accomplish its purpose. After three years of heavy dosages, it abruptly reduced the rate of application of heptachlor from 2 pounds to 1 and 1/4 pounds per acre in 1959; later on to 1/2 pound per acre, applied in two treatments of 1/4 pound each, 3 to 6 months apart. An official of the Department explained that 'an aggressive methods improvement program' showed the lower rate to be effective. Had this information been acquired before the program was launched, a vast amount of damage could have been avoided and the taxpayers could have been saved a great deal of money.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'This system, however - deliberately poisoning our food, then policing the result - is too reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's White Knight who thought of 'a plan to dye one's whiskers green, and always use so large a fan that they could not be seen.' The ultimate answer is to use less toxic chemicals so that the public hazard from their misuse is greatly reduced.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'We know that even single exposures to these chemicals, if the amount is large enough, can precipitate acute poisoning. But this is not the major problem. The sudden illness or death of farmers, spraymen, pilots, and others exposed to appreciable quantities of pesticides are tragic and should not occur. For the population as a whole, we must be more concerned with the delayed effects of absorbing small amounts of pesticides that invisibly contaminate our world.
Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are cumulative over long periods of time, and that the hazard to the individual may depend on the sum of the exposures recieved throughout his lifetime. For these very reasons the danger is easily ignored. It is human nature to shrug off what may seem to us a vague threat of future disaster. 'Men are naturally most impressed by disease which have obvious manifestations.' says a wise physician, Dr. Rene Dubos, 'yet some of their worst enemies creep on them unobtrusively.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'The major features of cellular organization, including, for instance, mitosis, must be much older than 500 million years old - more nearly 1000 million,' wrote Geroge Gaylord Simpson and his colleagues Pittendrigh and Tiffany in their broadly encompassing book entitled Life. 'In this sense the world of life, which is surely fragile and complex, is incredibly durable through time - more durable than mountains. This durability is wholly dependent on the almost incredible accuracy with which the inherited information is copied from generation to generation.'
But in all the thousand million years envisioned by these authors no threat has struck so directly and so forcefully at that 'incredible accuracy' as the mid-20th century threat of man-made radiation and man-made and man-disseminated chemicals. Sir Macfarlane Burnet, a distinguished Australian physician and a Nobel Prize winner, considers it 'one of the most significant medical features' of our time that, 'as a by-product of more and more powerful therapeutic procedures and the production of chemical substances outside of biological experiences, the normal protective barriers that kept mutagenic agents from the internal organs have been more and more frequently penetrated.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'As yet insufficient time has elapsed to reveal the full effect of the new chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides and of the modern herbicides. Most malignancies develop so slowly that they may require a considerable segment of the victim's life to reach the stage of showing clinical symptoms. In the early 1920s women who painted luminous figures on watch dials swallowed minute amounts of radium by touching the brushes to their lips; in some of these women bone cancers developed after a lapse of 15 or more years. A period of 15 to 30 years or even more has been demonstrated for some cancers caused by occupational exposures to chemical carcinogens.
In contrast to these industrial exposures to various carcinogens the first exposures to DDT date from about 1942 for military personnel and from about 1945 for civilians, and it was not until the early fifties that a wide variety of pesticidal chemicals came into use. The full maturing of whatever seeds of malignancy have been sown by these chemicals is yet to come.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Dr Riley indicated that the SRC also has the capabilities to test the entire spectrum of terpenes — the taste profiles and aroma of cannabis — which have been linked to the treatment of cancer in a recent university study.
“Public safety is one of the major focuses of the SRC, and we aim to always use advanced technologies to ensure that precise information is provided, which can guide policy and can also inform the public in terms of making good decisions,” Dr Riley emphasised.'
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/medical-cannabis-related-evaluations-begin-september_173511?profile=1373
'It has also been submitted that while enacting the NDPS Act, the government failed to consider the medicinal benefits of the drug, including its effect as an analgesic, its role in fighting cancer, reducing nausea, and increasing appetite in HIV patients.'
https://swarajyamag.com/insta/delhi-high-court-seeks-centres-take-on-use-of-cannabis-after-a-petition-challenges-ndps-act
'Cannabis exposure does not negatively impact the lungs in a manner consistent with tobacco, nor is it similarly linked to elevated rates of either COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or lung cancer, according a literature review published in the journal Addiction.
A team of New Zealand researchers reviewed clinical trial data assessing the impact of cannabis smoke exposure on the lungs. They report that "the effects of smoking cannabis on the lungs are distinct from tobacco."
Specifically, they write: "[I]t has been pragmatic to assume that cannabis and tobacco would have similar respiratory effects. ... The research that has been done, however, offers a different story. The most common serious respiratory consequences from smoking tobacco are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Epidemiological evidence that smoking cannabis causes either of these is scant."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/04/23/review-cannabis-smoke-exposure-is-distinct-from-tobacco-not-associated-with-copd-or-lung-cancer
'Grade IV glioblastoma multiforme is a deadly disease, with a median survival of around 14 to 16 months. Maximal resection followed by adjuvant radiochemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment since many years, although survival is only extended by a few months. In recent years, an increasing number of data from in vitro and in vivo research with cannabinoids, particularly with the non-intoxicating cannabidiol (CBD), point to their potential role as tumour-inhibiting agents. Herein, a total of nine consecutive patients with brain tumours are described as case series; all patients received CBD in a daily dose of 400 mg concomitantly to the standard therapeutic procedure of maximal resection followed by radiochemotherapy. By the time of the submission of this article, all but one patient are still alive with a mean survival time of 22.3 months (range=7-47 months). This is longer than what would have been expected. '
http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/39/10/5797.short
'Results: We confirmed that ID1 was a major target downregulated by CBD and also discovered that CBD inhibited FOXM1 (Forkhead box M1), a transcriptional activator involved in cell proliferation, while simultaneously upregulating GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15), a cytokine associated with tissue differentiation.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that, by modulating expression of shared key cancer-driving genes, CBD could represent a promising nontoxic therapeutic for treating tumors of various origins'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2019.0081
'Adalimumab, sold under the brand name Humira among others, is a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, uveitis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Use is generally only recommended in people who have not responded to other treatments. It is used by injection under the skin.
Common side effects include upper respiratory tract infections, pain at the site of injection, rash, and headache. Other side effects may include serious infections, cancer, anaphylaxis, reactivation of hepatitis B, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, liver failure, and aplastic anemia.
It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. There is strong evidence that adalimumab increases risk of serious infections, such as tuberculosis. It also increases the risk of cancers, including lymphoma and solid malignancies. The risk of cancer is higher with higher doses of adalimumab'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalimumab
'Various phytocannabinoids exhibit antitumor effects in a wide array of cell lines and animal models. On T-cell leukemia cell lines, combinations of THC and CBD, as well as CBD and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), were found to elicit cell death when each phytocannabinoid was used alone or in combination with each other. In addition, THC and/or CBD enhanced anti-leukemia chemotherapy activity in vitro. However, the effect of pure cannabinoids or cannabis extracts on CTCLs is unknown. In addition, despite accumulating knowledge regarding the anti-cancer activity of phytocannabinoids, CB agonists and antagonists, little is known of anti-cancer activity resulting from mixtures of compounds from whole cannabis plant extracts. This may be significant, as in some cases the unrefined content of cannabis inflorescence is superior to isolated compounds.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7138167/
'I think the world is just now finding out the beauty of cannabis and everything it can do for you. I hear people talk how it’s good for cancer patients. C’mon, it’s good for any fucking patient! The radiation zapped my salivary glands so I couldn’t make spit, which made it really hard to swallow and get food down. They gave me this crazy mouthwash to use that had Benadryl and lidocaine in it, but I still couldn’t eat. So cannabis helped with that, except I got a terrible craving for kiddie cereal. I went to the store and got, like, 20 boxes.” '
https://www.loudersound.com/features/how-dave-mustaine-took-on-cancer-and-won
'Results: Of the 21 participants enrolled (CBD, n = 16; THC, n = 5), 18 (86%) completed the primary outcome measure at day 14 and 8 completed at day 28. The median maximum tolerated doses were CBD, 300 mg/day (range 100–600 mg); THC, 10 mg/day (range 5–30 mg). Nine of 21 patients (43%) met the definition of response (=6 point reduction in TSDS). Drowsiness was the most common AE.
Conclusions: Trials of medicinal cannabis in advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care are feasible. The doses of THC and CBD used in this study were generally well tolerated and the outcome measure of total symptom distress is promising as a measure of overall symptom benefit.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7232640/
'Cannabis has been used to relieve the symptoms of disease for thousands of years. However, social and political biases have limited effective interrogation of the potential benefits of cannabis and polarised public opinion. Further, the medicinal and clinical utility of cannabis is limited by the psychotropic side effects of ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (?9-THC). Evidence is emerging for the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, with potential efficacy as an analgesic and antiemetic for the management of cancer-related pain and treatment-related nausea and vomiting, respectively. An increasing number of preclinical studies have established that ?9-THC can inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancerous cells through the modulation of cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R), but clinical confirmation remains lacking. In parallel, the anti-cancer properties of non-THC cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), are linked to the modulation of non-CB1R/CB2R G-protein-coupled receptors, neurotransmitter receptors, and ligand-regulated transcription factors, which together modulate oncogenic signalling and redox homeostasis. Additional evidence has also demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabinoids, and this may prove relevant in the context of peritumoural oedema and the tumour immune microenvironment. This review aims to document the emerging mechanisms of anti-cancer actions of non-THC cannabinoids.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7226605/
'Treatment of GBM [glioblastoma] is currently based on surgical removal followed by radiotherapy and the administration of temozolomide, as adjuvant therapy. However, the median survival of patients is of 5 years following initial diagnosis. For this reason, new therapeutic strategies are necessary to improve the prognosis of the disease as well as the quality of life of patients. Cannabinoid specific receptors CB1 and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), involved in the control of cell proliferation, differentiation and survival, are distributed in brain and are expressed in different cell types, such as astrocytes, microglia and glioblastoma cells; therefore, targeting CB receptors might represent an interesting strategy. Cannabinoids are constituents of the plant Cannabis sativa and cannabis constituents have been used in traditional medicine thanks to their curative properties. Among them, phytocannabinoids, cannabinol, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol or ß-caryophyllene (BCP) have been extracted to avoid psychoactive activity related to cannabinoid ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In vivo studies described the cannabinoids mechanism of action on cancers, indicating that CB agonists act (i) inducing cell death processes such as apoptosis and/or autophagy and (ii) inhibiting cell proliferation. BCP is a bicyclic sesquiterpene whose possible efficacy has been yet described on cancer cells. In addition, an in vivo study demonstrated that BCP treatment may modulate inflammation through a crosstalk between CB2 receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-?). However, the effects of BCP on glioblastoma have not been yet deeply investigated and the exact mechanism of action of BCP has to be deeply explained. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate BCP effects in an in vitro model of glioblastoma.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7226353/
'Conclusions: Latest available prevalence estimates indicate that a significant proportion of patients in the United States with cancer use cannabis and/or cannabinoids (18.3-40.0%). There is substantial evidence for the effectiveness of cannabis and cannabinoids in treating cancer-related pain; specifically, oromucosal THC/CBD spray. There is conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of cannabis and cannabinoids in relieving chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting; specifically, oral THC.'
https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2020.38.15_suppl.12091
Is it a case of oncology specialists lacking knowledge about cannabis or having excellent knowledge about which blockbuster cancer drugs top the pharma sales charts?
'According to the survey, 24.5 percent of respondents attending an oncology office in Michigan said that they used medical cannabis. Of those, 81 percent said that it mitigated their pain, 77 percent said that it improved their appetite, and 73 percent said that it reduced their anxiety. Fifty-five percent said that cannabis “improved their ability to tolerate [cancer] treatment.”
However, separate survey data published in the journal Clinical Oncology reported that many oncology health care specialists remain unwilling to explicitly recommend cannabis therapy to their patients. Investigators reported that 84 percent of respondents “believed that they lacked sufficient knowledge about cannabis to make recommendations.” More than six in ten expressed concerns over their inability to recommend a specific cannabis dosing regimen to their patients.'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/18/cancer-patients-frequently-turning-to-cannabis-but-many-oncology-specialists-still-reluctant-to-recommend-it
'While Grinspoon’s accolades and leadership positions in medicine played a major role in how important his voice was to the cause, it was also the voice of a father who had deeply personal experiences with medical cannabis. As his son Danny battled terminal cancer, Grinspoon witnessed the benefits of medical cannabis to someone going through an aggressive chemotherapy regime.
Danny lost his life to leukemia, but the lessons his father learned in helping him live a better quality of life would go on to help millions. As cannabis rose to prominence in the last 20 years, it’s undeniable the tale of a Harvard Medical School professor and his son went a long way to calming nerves around what was still a very illicit substance in the eyes of so many.'
https://www.laweekly.com/the-cannabis-world-mourns-dr-lester-grinspoon/
Top selling drug of pharma industry - 'common side effects include upper respiratory tract infections, pain at the site of injection, rash, and headache. Other side effects may include serious infections, cancer, anaphylaxis, reactivation of hepatitis B, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, liver failure, and aplastic anemia. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. There is strong evidence that adalimumab increases risk of serious infections, such as tuberculosis. - source- Wikipedia'
'Those anticipating Humira (adalimumab) relinquishing its crown as the industry’s best-selling drug still have some time to wait. AbbVie’s legendary patent thicket around the drug means that any US biosimilars will not launch until 2023 at the earliest. '
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-020-00047-7
'Adalimumab, sold under the brand name Humira among others, is a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, uveitis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Use is generally only recommended in people who have not responded to other treatments. It is used by injection under the skin.
Common side effects include upper respiratory tract infections, pain at the site of injection, rash, and headache. Other side effects may include serious infections, cancer, anaphylaxis, reactivation of hepatitis B, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, liver failure, and aplastic anemia.
It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. There is strong evidence that adalimumab increases risk of serious infections, such as tuberculosis. It also increases the risk of cancers, including lymphoma and solid malignancies. The risk of cancer is higher with higher doses of adalimumab'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalimumab
'We report here a patient with adenocarcinoma of the lung who, after declining chemotherapy and radiotherapy, presented with tumour response following self-administration of cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound present in cannabis sativa. Prior work has shown that cannabidiol may have anti-neoplastic properties and enhance the immune response to cancer. The data presented here indicates that cannabidiol might have led to a striking response in a patient with lung cancer.'
http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/5835/
'The National Cancer Institute has said that “Cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory.” (Presumably it does something similar outside of the laboratory, but taking cannabis from lab to bedside is an exercise in Schedule-I bureaucratic frustration.) In addition, the NCI states that “[c]annabinoids appear to kill tumor cells but do not affect their non-transformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death.”
Anecdotes of success in treating cancer with cannabis can’t be ignored—they’re what’s driven the medicalization of cannabis for a long time.
This is because cannabis is what’s known as “pro-apoptotic.” Apoptosis means that a cell commits suicide. Cannabis encourages this in some cancer cells while protecting non-cancer cells from the same fate. As any oncologist will tell you, killing cancer cells while not affecting normal tissue is one of the Holy Grails of treatment. Cannabis can also prevent cancer cells from further dividing, spreading, and growing.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/cannabis-shows-great-promise-treating-cancer-lets-not-wreck-hyperbole
'Given that 39.6% of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, cancers affects nearly everyone. Chances are, someone close to you has battled cancer.
Oncologists, more than doctors in any other discipline within medicine, support the option of recommending cannabis as part of a treatment program for patients suffering from cancer. However, while the positive effects of using cannabis to alleviate cancer symptoms have been well documented, the U.S. government continues to classify cannabis as a Schedule I drug — high potential for abuse and no known medical use. Consequently, the federal government’s position on cannabis stifles much-needed research on cannabis as a “cure” for cancer.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/can-cannabis-cure-cancer
'Cannabinol receptors have been identified in pancreatic cancer with several studies showing in vitro antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects. The main active substances found in cannabis plants are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). There effects are predominately mediated through, but not limited to cannabinoid receptor-1, cannabinoid receptor-2, and G-protein-coupled receptor 55 pathways. In vitro studies consistently demonstrated tumor growth-inhibiting effects with CBD, THC, and synthetic derivatives. Synergistic treatment effects have been shown in two studies with the combination of CBD/synthetic cannabinoid receptor ligands and chemotherapy in xenograft and genetically modified spontaneous pancreatic cancer models. There are, however, no clinical studies to date showing treatment benefits in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth major cause of cancer death and is likely to become the second major cause of cancer death after lung cancer by 2030, with an urgent need to improve treatment outcomes.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6352507/
'Taken together, the results obtained in this study re-demonstrated the effects of CBD treatment in vivo, thus confirming its role as a novel, reliable anticancer drug'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304383519300230
'The first product is designed for treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a rare type of skin cancer. The product was tested on cancer cells at the Volcani Center, but has not yet been tried on animals or human beings.'
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-medc-develops-medical-cannabis-skin-cancer-cure-1001267282
'As these findings lend to the increasing evidence of CBD as a potential viable, alternative, and less harmful treatment option against prostate and breast cancer, our current efforts are focusing on determining the which death pathways (apoptosis, anoikis, necrosis) are triggered by CBD exposure.'
https://www.sccur.org/sccur/FALL_2018_CONFERENCE/LIFE_SCI_POSTERS/110/
'Analyzing the results, researchers saw clinical responses in 92% of cases, including a reduction in circulating tumor cells and a reduction in the size of brain tumors. Although the study used synthetic CBD oil, researchers hope that its results will help spur further investigation into the medical efficacy of CBD.
https://www.hempbizjournal.com/cbd-may-help-treat-brain-tumors/
'We demonstrate a potential beneficial therapeutic effect of cannabinoids, which could influence the course of melanoma in a murine model. Increased survival and less tumorgenicity are novel findings that should guide research to better understand the mechanisms by which cannabinoids could be utilized as adjunctive treatment of cancer, specifically melanoma. Further studies are necessary to evaluate this potentially new and novel treatment of malignant melanoma.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022480418306267
'A tumor is a mass of swollen tissue. Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia discovered that cannabis is an incredibly successful herb for reducing many types of tumors, both benign and malignant (cancerous). The DEA and other federal agencies had ordered these tumor studies done after hearing erroneous reports of possible immunicological problems associated with cannabis smoke. But, in 1975, instead of health problems, an apparent medical breakthrough occurred and successful tumor reductions were recorded! Following this remarkably positive discovery by the Medical College of Virginia, orders were immediately handed down by the DEA and the National Institutes of Health to defund all further cannabis/tumor research and reporting! Millions of Americans who might be alive today are dead because of these and other DEA orders regarding marijuana. In 1996 and 2006, the Medical College of Virginia again applied to receive grants for cannabis research and again were turned down by the DEA' - The emperor wears no clothes by Jack Herer
'With millions of new cancer cases each year, clear disadvantages to mainstream treatment options, and positive indications from preclinical antitumor medical marijuana studies, the benefit of gathering additional data is clear. We must conduct large-scale research studies to gain a better understanding of medical marijuana’s capabilities beyond palliative care.'
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/cannabis-versus-cancer/
'Cannabis in oncology may have potential in its use for anticipatory and refractory CINV, refractory cancer pain, and as an antitumor agent; however, much of the data are based on animal studies and small clinical trials. In addition, many published studies are outdated. More research is needed in all areas related to the therapeutic use of cannabis, THC, and/or other cannabinoids. Currently, cannabis is not a primary means of treatment for any cancer or treatment-related adverse effect. However, as marijuana legalization, access, and research increases, this may change.'
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2504173
'Another choice for patients to ingest medical cannabis is through oil. There are studies that claim these oils actually help fight cancer.'
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/u/kc3hgrel4c3F-MbGe3LdAMET3F5icifoBuTC85K-kT4loVbj-fy3p_pI8cdN8g/
'Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant brain tumor and one of the deadliest types of solid cancer overall. Despite aggressive therapeutic approaches consisting of maximum safe surgical resection and radio-chemotherapy, more than 95% of GBM patients die within 5 years after diagnosis. Thus, there is still an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic strategies against this disease. Accumulating evidence indicates that cannabinoids have potent anti-tumor functions and might be used successfully in the treatment of GBM. This review article summarizes the latest findings on the molecular effects of cannabinoids on GBM, both in vitro and in (pre-) clinical studies in animal models and patients. The therapeutic effect of cannabinoids is based on reduction of tumor growth via inhibition of tumor proliferation and angiogenesis but also via induction of tumor cell death. Additionally, cannabinoids were shown to inhibit the invasiveness and the stem cell-like properties of GBM tumors. Recent phase II clinical trials indicated positive results regarding the survival of GBM patients upon cannabinoid treatment. Taken together these findings underline the importance of elucidating the full pharmacological effectiveness and the molecular mechanisms of the cannabinoid system in GBM pathophysiology.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964193/
'Altogether, our results offer an approach for leveraging the antineoplastic activity of CBDs to achieve enhanced therapeutic efficacy during cancer treatment with the possibility of addressing toxicity concerns that have hampered clinical translation efforts. The potential for using smart RT biomaterials, which integrate enhanced tumor cell killing when combining CBDs with RT, and delivery with smart biomaterials, provide a promising pathway for clinical translation. To this end, ongoing work is investigating such SRBs loaded with CBDs, which could simply replace currently used inert RT biomaterials during image-guided RT, all at no additional inconvenience to cancer patients.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5928848/
'Surgery is the standard treatment for early-stage EC (endometrial cancer) patients, but patients with lymph node or distant-organ metastases often have poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, identifying novel therapy to prevent EC cell metastatic potential will help to optimize treating strategies. This current study found that cannabinoid receptors were over expressed in EC tissues and the protein levels were positively correlated with EMT markers. Furthermore, THC has been proven to inhibit EC cell motility and EMT through reducing MMP-9, which makes THC become a novel tumor suppressor in EC.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5950514/
'A new mode of action for CBD in cancer, via modulation of EMV release, is revealed here for the first time. The findings presented in this study serve as a first proof of principle for CBD-mediated inhibition and modulation of EMV biogenesis, and shows cancer-type and dose specific effects. As CBD modulation of mitochondrial functions is well established, the effects observed here on changes in EMV release, mitochondrial function and mitochondrial associated proteins, alongside sensitisation of cancer cells to cisplatin mediated apoptosis, provide a platform for further research on detailed mechanistic pathways of CBD’s mode of action on EMV biogenesis and cellular communication. Furthermore, this work opens up wide ranging research into novel therapeutic avenues in EMV-mediated pathologies.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099119/
'Our results also suggest that high concentrations of cannabinoids are preferable for efficacious treatment of malignant astrocytomas, because these concentrations bypass CB1 and CB2 receptor activation and induce apoptosis in all astrocytoma cell subpopulations.'
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0008702
'Originally Haber’s doctors gave him a diagnosis of less than a year to live. That was 19 years ago.
But after beating the odds, three years ago his brain tumor became anaplastic, a much more malignant cancer stage that also caused epileptic episodes. Taking approximately 200 grams of medical cannabis per month, in both flower and oil form, stopped the epileptic seizures and halted the growth of the anaplastic brain tumor, said Haber.
The Health Ministry first notified Haber that it was cutting his dosage in June, without consulting his doctors, who strongly opposed the move. For the past three months, Haber has only been able to obtain 90 grams per month. He said the epileptic seizures have returned and the tumor has started growing again. In November, the tumor was classified as Stage III-IV, and Haber was given about a year to live.'
https://www.timesofisrael.com/cancer-patient-sues-health-ministry-over-trimmed-marijuana-prescriptions/
'As for why marijuana use doesn't seem to increase cancer risk, pulmonary critical care researcher John Hansen-Flaschen of the University of Pennsylvania points out that cigarette smokers puff a lot more cigarettes than do marijuana users--a smoker with a 2-pack-a-day habit lights up 292,000 cigarettes over 20 years, for example. That's probably because marijuana isn't nearly as addictive as tobacco, says epidemiologist Steve Schwartz of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, who conducted the 2004 study.'
'Therefore, we must conclude that no convincing evidence exists for an association between marijuana smoking and lung cancer based on existing data.'
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/410634
'We report here a patient with adenocarcinoma of the lung who, after declining chemotherapy and radiotherapy, presented with tumour response following self-administration of cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound present in cannabis sativa. Prior work has shown that cannabidiol may have anti-neoplastic properties and enhance the immune response to cancer. The data presented here indicates that cannabidiol might have led to a striking response in a patient with lung cancer.'
http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/5835/
'The researchers from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Oncology Research Center at HealthPartners/Park Nicollet found that patients with cancer who enrolled in Minnesota’s medical cannabis program reported significant improvement in symptoms, including reduced anxiety, lack of appetite, depression, disturbed sleep, fatigue, nausea, pain and vomiting, within four months of starting the medication.
“It is encouraging to see this evidence that Minnesota’s medical cannabis program is helping cancer patients,” said Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. “In addition to helping people with qualifying conditions, the program was designed to help advance scientific understanding of the treatment potential of cannabis. These latest findings demonstrate that the program is making valuable contributions toward that goal as well.”'
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNMDH/bulletins/23cc6d0
'Various phytocannabinoids exhibit antitumor effects in a wide array of cell lines and animal models. On T-cell leukemia cell lines, combinations of THC and CBD, as well as CBD and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), were found to elicit cell death when each phytocannabinoid was used alone or in combination with each other. In addition, THC and/or CBD enhanced anti-leukemia chemotherapy activity in vitro. However, the effect of pure cannabinoids or cannabis extracts on CTCLs is unknown. In addition, despite accumulating knowledge regarding the anti-cancer activity of phytocannabinoids, CB agonists and antagonists, little is known of anti-cancer activity resulting from mixtures of compounds from whole cannabis plant extracts. This may be significant, as in some cases the unrefined content of cannabis inflorescence is superior to isolated compounds.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7138167/
'Voters approved a constitutional amendment in November allowing medical marijuana in Missouri.
The measure allows patients with cancer, HIV, epilepsy and other conditions access to marijuana. It also permits use by veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/missouri-to-start-taking-medical-marijuana-business-application-fees-jan-5/
The 21 qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in Ohio includes cancer
Minnesota's list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana includes cancer
Pennsylvania's list of medical conditions qualifying for medical marijuana includes cancer
'On Nov. 25, the Central Council For Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, a research body under India’s AYUSH ministry of traditional medicine, announced positive results from the first clinical study in India on the use of cannabis as a restorative drug for cancer patients.
“In the pilot study conducted earlier this year, cannabis leaves-based drugs have been found effective in alleviating pain and other symptoms in cancer patients post chemo and radiotherapy,” the council’s director general Vaidya K S Dhiman told the Press Trust of India.'
https://qz.com/india/1474267/modis-ayurveda-push-may-promote-marijuana-use-in-india/
'Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie alluded to the Report of the CARICOM Regional Commission on Marijuana 2018, which states that access to medical marijuana should be facilitated for qualifying conditions in which there is clear evidence of its therapeutic benefits and for debilitating life-threatening conditions that are intractable to treatment, and where there is evidence of possible benefits.
“These include patients on chemotherapy with nausea and vomiting, glaucoma, asthma, anorexia and weight loss in AIDS, cancers, anorexia nervosa, chronic and neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis, sleep disorders and some neuropsychiatric disorders” she outlined.'
https://jis.gov.jm/health-ministry-supports-conditional-use-of-cannabis-for-research-and-meidicinal-purposes/
'The board voted to recommend the state add severe pediatric autism to the list of ailments for which Iowans may legally purchase medical marijuana products. But the board declined patients’ requests to also add attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and ganglioglioma, which is a type of brain tumor.'
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2018/11/02/iowa-medical-marijuana-board-thc-limit-medpharm-cbd-cannabidiol-autism-pain-ptsd-cannabis-pot-ptsd/1850109002/
'When we reviewed its medical uses in 1993 after examining many patients and case histories, we were able to list the following: nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy, the weight loss syndrome of AIDS, glaucoma, epilepsy, muscle spasms and chronic pain in multiple sclerosis, quadriplegia and other spastic disorders, migraine, severe pruritus, depression, and other mood disorders. Since then we have identified more than a dozen others, including asthma, insomnia, dystonia, scleroderma, Crohn’s disease, diabetic gastroparesis, and terminal illness. The list is not exhaustive.'
http://rxmarijuana.com/old_medicine.htm
Across the US, terminal illness and palliative care are qualifying conditions for the usage of medical marijuana. Well, death is the inevitable outcome for all living beings. The human race and life on earth collectively are hurtling to death with the consequences of man made climate change, environmental pollution and threat of world wars to name just some potential scenarios. Everyone of us individually is going to die sooner or later, whether it be of old age, illness or circumstances. Why is the plant then kept away from the majority and made available to only some? Please legalize it for recreational use world wide immediately as no one gets out of here alive. Life is terminally ill.
'“I have to tell you, going through what I went through last year, I am so angry that there is such a stigma attached to cannabis, to marijuana, to anything having to do with the medical benefits of cannabis oil and marijuana any way,” McCain, whose father died from an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma last year, said.
She appeared to reference a study that showed that glioblastoma patients treated with THC and CBD, in addition to an oral chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, survived almost a year longer on average compared to a control group that only received temozolomide.
“I’m sorry I’m getting emotional, but it’s a big difference—it’s a year difference,” she said. “My dad only survived 14 months."'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/meghan-mccain-says-marijuana-might-have-extended-her-fathers-life/
'Federal and state narcotic authorities put every obstacle in the way of
addicts who want a cure. No reduction cures are given in city or state
institutions. Two hundred dollars is minimum for a ten-day cure in a
private sanatorium. Hospitals are forbidden by law to give addicts any
junk. I knew an addict who needed an operation for stomach cancer. The
hospital could not give him any junk. Sudden withdrawal of junk plus the
operation would likely have killed him so he decided to skip the
operation.'
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
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