How Cannabis Entirely Destroys Cancer Cells?
Cannabis is usually considered to be a harmful substance. There is a commonly shared opinion that this plant has an addictive nature and that it is responsible for damaging both your mental and your physical health, which is why it’s illegal in most of the countries in the world. However, contrary to popular belief, this plant has been used for medical purposes since ancient times. An active chemical found in the cannabis, THC, is credited for its ability to relieve pain, to reduce anxiety, to prevent vomiting and nausea and, to increase the appetite, which is why this plant is often linked with cancer treatment. But, what is less commonly known is that THC can destroy cancer cells completely.
Researchers
…show more content…
Christina Sanchez, a molecular biologist from Compultense University, explains that the cannabinoid receptors and the endocannabinoids, along with the enzymes that produce them, create the endocannabinoid system. According to Sanchez, this system is noted for its ability to regulate a number of biological functions, including appetite, reproduction and many other processes that create a healthy environment within the body, which is why the cannabis has an enormous therapeutic potential.
Apart from the THC, the plant produces a compound called cannabidiol. This compound is of a great significance because it doesn’t have any psychoactive properties. Instead, it acts as an antioxidant that kills cancer cells and that protects the brain from stress and damage. When this compound is combined with THC, the ability to treat cancerous diseases is even more powerful.
Dr. Sanchez and her team worked on a project which aim was to prove that THC has a positive effect in the cancer treatment. In the research, they treated astrocytoma cells with cannabinoids. What they discovered was that THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, was killing the cancer cells. After noticing the anticancer ability of THC to destroy cancerous cells, the team started to test this compound in animal models of glioblastoma tumor. They noticed that the cancer cells died whenever they were exposed to THC. Dr. Sanchez states that THC is more powerful than chemotherapy because it kills only cancer cells
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are funding many researcher to further the research and benefits of cannabinoids, THC and CBD in medical marijuana. It is believed that THC and CBD can help with killing cancer cell with radiation.
First lets look at what keeps cancer cells alive, then we will come back and examine how the cannabinoids CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) unravels cancers aliveness.
Cannabis is better known by many people as just a recreational drug but studies show that the chemical compounds in Cannabis to cause the death of cancer cells along with relieve chronic pain and anxiety caused by other cancer treatments. Dennis Hill is a cancer survivor who treated and cured himself using cannabis as a treatment he explains how THC works to kill cancer cells when he states “Very simply, when THC connects to the CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptor site on the cancer cell, it causes an increase in ceramide synthesis which drives cell death.” THC when introduced to the cancer cell causes a ceramide synthesis in which ceramide starts to build up causing the Sphingolipid Rheostat to push Cytochrome c out of the mitochondria. Cytochrome
Because of the copious amount of medical data on the benefits of Cannabis, its low addiction rate and its lack of negative side effects make Cannabis fit the schedule 2 substance instead of the schedule 1 ranking.The earliest uses for cannabis date back to ancient China. It was used for medical remedies. Currently there is scientific evidence to back up the claim that it can help fight illness, including cancer. This has been hypothesized by many in the scientific community. But not until recently have studies been completed ranging from large-scale case studies to testing on animals. The evidence is becoming increasingly common that cannabis reduces tumors in animals as well as in humans. A study done by Harvard Medical shows that it reduced the tumors. "Cumulatively, these studies indicate that THC has anti-tumorigenic and anti-metastatic effects against lung cancer." This was an experiment that used cannabis to treat cancer in mice. The results were that there was a significant reduction of lung cancer in mice. Harvard Medical concluded that the two anti-tumor properties of cannabis, anti-proliferative and anti-androgenic, have beneficial effects in the cure of lung cancer. When used in treatment, the substance, THC, does not compromise human cells. "THC (5mg/kg body wt.) was administered once daily through intraperitoneal injections for 21 days. The mice were analyzed for tumor growth and lung metastasis. A significant reduction (approximately 50%) in tumor weight and
Marijuana is composed of approximately over four hundred chemicals. According to the Mayo Clinic "Marijuana contains at least 60 chemicals called cannabinoids. Researchers are evaluating how effective some of these cannabinoids might be in controlling symptoms of certain medical conditions. For example: THC, an abbreviation for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC is the main component responsible for marijuana's mind-altering effect. It also may help treat signs and symptoms such as nausea and vomiting that are associated with a number of medical conditions. Cannabinol and cannabidiol, these compounds have some of the properties of THC, but cause less psychoactive effects — the high. [...]” Medical marijuana can be used to treat a variety of illnesses ranging from anxiety to more life threatening diseases like cancer.
Medically, marijuana can help with quite a few things. Diseases like Parkinson’s, when elderly shake uncontrollably, can be completely cured by the high THC level found in marijuana. THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, is a chemical made by the body but is enhanced by cannabis. The chemical was first founded in 1964 by Israeli scientist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam. Some may say that THC is chemically unjust for humans to use, but it is found in many prescription drugs. Cesamet (nabilone) and Sativex (nabiximols) are just two on the drugs found with high THC levels. Despite the controversy of brain cells being destroyed, THC actually helps protect them and stimulate their growth. The chemical is known as a “neuroprotectant”, which means what it helps build brain cells back up after under-oxidized stress, inflammation, or any damage done to the brain cells. Dr. Xia Zhang is the scientist behind these finding and wrote to Science Daily, “Most ‘drugs of abuse’ suppress neurogenesis. Only marijuana promotes neurogenesis,” (6 Surprising). THC does not help marijuana in creating a high or altering it. THC is mostly present in the cannabis as THCA
suggests that purified extracts from whole-plant marijuana can slow the growth of cancer cells from
Marijuana, also call “cannabis” is a plant grown all over the world. In the resin of this plant are multiple variations of “cannabinoids”, according to the National Cancer Institute cannabinoids are “active chemicals in cannabis that cause drug like effects throughout the body, including the central nervous system, and the immune system” (National Cancer Institute). This being said many people would argue that anything altering the mental, or cognitive function of an individual should be made illegal, and yet many pharmaceutical drugs, as well as alcohol do just that. One active cannabinoid in cannabis is “cannabidiol” (National Cancer Institute), this cannabinoid can reduce anxiety, pain, and lower inflammation. These effects can even be harnassed without activating the cannibinoids giving the user a “high”. Many cancer patients are exposed to chemotherapy, causing high levels of vomiting and nausea, the effects of cannabidiol could greatly reduce the
Marijuana is not as harmful as people seem to think. The United States has been searching for a cure for cancer for several years and we have finally found enough information and research to cure it. Marijuana has given researchers a new medical breakthrough. Not only does it help with the symptoms of cancer, but also kills the cell growth. There are many types of cancer, three were discussed today: breast cancer, brain cancer, and lung cancer; although every type of cancer is serious, these three seem to be more and more common. It’s a sad tragedy when we have a simple cure to all types of cancers and nothing is being done about it. The FDA approves medical prescriptions all the time when they can cause serious side effects and sometimes even death; marijuana has zero scientifically proven serious side effects. With this being said, medical marijuana is more than an acceptable way to cure cancer and to help with the
However, the most common medical benefits from this drug is the alleviation of the following: appetite loss, nausea, chronic pain, anxiety, sleeping disorders, muscle spasms, and intraocular pressure. This has been confirmed by a small number of controlled studies (Caulkins et al. 95). Medical marijuana largely works because of its main active ingredient, THC (a cannabinoid) . Endocannabiniods are produced in the body which help regulate the response to stimuli. Endocannabiniods have a large amount of receptors, mainly in the brain. THC binds itself to these receptors which give the various effects such as alleviating pain but this also results in the user becoming
Cannabis has cured some Cancer symptoms for many patients, “A number of studies of smoked marijuana found that it can be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy...studies have found that inhaled (smoked or vaporized) marijuana can be helpful treatment of neuropathic pain (pain caused by damaged nerves)” ("Marijuana and Cancer." Marijuana and Cancer. Web. 13 Nov. 2015) meaning that inhaling medical marijuana can actually help you with some symptoms that cancer does on your body. “More recently, scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells growing in laboratory
There are many other health benefits that most people overlook. For example, according to Arias, marijuana has been shown to suppress tumor growth in cancer patients. She goes on to say, researchers have found that THC targets cannabinoid receptors which are related to the endocannabinoids which are naturally produced in the human body. THC from marijuana activates these receptors, which can be used to treat several types of cancer.
As mentioned above numerous studies have shown the viability of cannabis as a potential cancer treatment. Studies have not only shown how marijuana inhibits tumor growth, cell death, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow but it also can dramatically improve the quality of life of a cancer
Additionally, medical marijuana could also cure cancer, a vigorous disease that kills many people daily. Research shows that THC is the main cannabinoid associated with marijuana and has been recognized to contain a strong anti-cancer effect. Wai Liu, a researcher discovered that there are numerous less known cannabinoids that may decrease the growth of cancer cells in Leukemia. Liu also found out that because the cannabinoids are not psychoactive, a patient could have the anti-cancer benefits without having the high feeling associated with THC (Bekiempis 1). Thus, marijuana does not target all rapidly dividing cells like the way chemotherapy or radiation does – which leads to weight and hair loss. Rather, the marijuana attacks the cancer (Bekiempis 1). Additionally, medical marijuana has many therapeutic uses. For example, research proves that
There are over 400 different chemicals in cannabis, about 60 of which are known as cannabinoids.(1) These plant cannabinoids can stimulate the body's endocannabinoid system which consist of 1) the cannabinoid receptors (named cannabinoid receptor type 1 or CB1 receptor or “brain/central type” and cannabinoid receptor type 2 or CB2 receptor); 2) the endogenous lipid ligands (endocannabinoids), and 3) the structures implied in their biosynthesis and metabolism (2). These chemicals