Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in industrialised countries. Treatment with pharmaceutical drugs shows only limited efficiency in many cases and is accompanied by high toxicity and undesirable side effects. Meanwhile, it has become known that the plant cannabis can naturally help to alleviate the symptoms of cancer and chemotherapy and is even able to fight cancer cells. Within cancer therapy, cannabis helps to reduce pain, improve appetite, reduce nausea, it also has a mood-lifting effect, promotes sleep and overall increases the quality of life, which is crucial in the fight against cancer.
Marijuana, an effective and new form of treatment against cancer
Some cannabinoids contained in cannabis have shown efficacy against various types of cancer in studies. At the same time, a huge number of patients report about their positive experiences and even about a cure in connection with cancer and cannabis, among others in the social networks (facebook & Co), especially in the USA, where medical marijuana is fortunately partly much more accessible for patients than is still the case in Europe. There are now an astonishing and moving number of sufferers and even affected children in the USA who report on the effectiveness of cannabis in treating cancer and declare that they owe their survival to the medicinal plant cannabis. There are documented cases of terminal cancer patients who have experienced remission of the disease with the treatment of cannabis or cannabinoids. Countless patients have been able to make skin cancer disappear thanks to the topical application of cannabis.
These testimonies from patients are one part. In addition, there are more than 60 international scientific studies that can be credited with proving that cannabis is a unique and highly effective form of treatment in the fight against cancer.
Studies on the effectiveness of cannabinoids in cancer treatment
- Anti-tumour effects of cannabis. Published on the website of the National Cancer Institute of the United States government, May 2014. (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4)
- Production and characterisation of biodegradable microparticles rich in THC and their anti-tumour efficacy in different types of cancer. The study was published in the journal Drug Targeting in September 2013. (http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/1061186X.2013.809089)
- The endocannabinoid system is a therapeutic target in the regulation of cancer cell growth.
- Study published in Life Science, March 2013 -> important connection of the endocannabinoid system and cancer.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024320512005930)
- CBD as a potential anti-cancer drug. Study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, February 2013. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04298.x/full)
- Cannabinoids and omega-3/6 endocannabinoids as cell death and anti-cancer modulators. Study published in the journal Progress in Lipid Research, January 2013.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163782712000537)
- CBD inhibits angiogenesis through several mechanisms. CBD as an effective anti-cancer drug. The study was published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, November 2012. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04298.x/full)
- The use of cannabinoids has an anti-tumour effect. Study published in the journal Nature, June 2012.(http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/Velasco%20NRC%202012%282%29.pdf)
- Mechanism of cell death by cannabinoids in tumour models. Study published in the International Journal of Oncology, May 2012. (http://www.spandidos-publications.com/ijo/41/2/407)
- Cannabinoids, endocannabinoids and cancer. Study in the journal Cancer Metastasis Reviews, December 2011. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3366283/)
- The endocannabinoid system and cancer: therapeutic implications. Study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, July 2011. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01327.x/full)
Marijuana against brain tumour (glioma, glioblastoma)
- Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive substance in marijuana, inhibits the proliferation and invasion of U87-MG and T98G glioma cells in several ways. Study in the journal Public Library of Science, October 2013 In. (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0076918)
- CBD, a new therapeutic target against glioblastoma. Study published on Cancer Reserch, March 2008. (http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/73/5/1559)
- Microparticles loaded with cannabinoids inhibit tumour cell growth in the model. Study in the journal Public Library of Science, January 2013. (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0054795)
- Cannabinoids inhibit the growth of malignant human glioma cells U87MG type. Study in the journal Oncology Reports, July 2012. (http://www.spandidos-publications.com/or/28/4/1176)
- A preclinical therapy combined with cannabinoids and temozolomide against gliomas. Study in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, January 2011. (http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/10/1/90.full)
- CBD enhances the inhibitory effect of THC on the proliferation and survival of human glioblastoma cells. Study in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, January 2010. (http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/9/1/180.long)
- Cannabinoids induce cell death of human glioma through autophagy. Study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, May 2009. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/J_Cli_Invest09_119_1359_1372.pdf)
- Cannabinoids modulate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2, which inhibits glioma cell invasion. Study in the journal Cancer Research, March 2008. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/Cancer_Res08_68_1945_1952.pdf)
- Cannabinoids and gliomas, study published in Molecular Neurobiology, June 2007. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/Mol_Neurobiol07_36_60_67.pdf)
- Cannabinoids inhibit the development of gliomas. Study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, March 2007. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/J_Biol_Chem07_282_%206854_6862.pdf)
- A pilot clinical trial of THC in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. The results were published in the British Journal of Cancer in June 2006. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/Br_J_Cancer06_95_197_03.pdf)
- CBD inhibits human glioma cell migration by a mechanism independent of cannabinoid receptors. Study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, April 2005. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/sj.bjp.0706134/full)
- Cannabinoids inhibit vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) in gliomas. Study published in the Journal of Cancer Research, August 2004. (http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/64/16/5617.full)
- The anti-tumour effect of CBD on human glioma cells. Study published in the Journal of Pharmacology, November 2003. (http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/308/3/838.full)
- Growth inhibition of glioma illustrated by selective activation of cannabinoid receptor CB (2). Study published in the Journal of Cancer Research, August 2001. (http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/61/15/5784.long)
Marijuana and breast cancer
- CBD reduced metastasis of advanced stage breast cancer as a direct result of downregulation of the transcriptional regulator Id1. Targeting multiple cannabinoid antitumour pathways with a resorcinol derivative results in inhibition of advanced stages of breast cancer. British Journal of Pharmacology, June 2014.
- CBDA (The acid form of CBD, which is present in the fresh plant) inhibits cell migration of MB-231 breast cancer cells. Study published in the journal Toxicology Letters, November 2012.
- Cannabinoids: A new hope in breast cancer therapy? Clear evidence shows that cannabinoids have antitumour activity in preclinical models of breast cancer. Study published in the journal Cancer Treatment, June 2012. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/Caffarel%20Cancer%20Treat%20Rev%202012%20online.pdf)
- Conduction pathways mediating the effects of CBD on reducing breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis.Study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, August 2011. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3410650/)
- Cannabinoids exert an antitumoral effect in the MMTV-neu model in breast cancer. Cannabinoids reduce breast cancer metastases in the lung. Study published in the journal Molecular Cancer, July 2010. (http://www.molecular-cancer.com/content/9/1/196)
- Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of ID 1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells. In addition, reducing ID 1 gene expression with cannabinoids may also be a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of other aggressive cancers. Molecular Research Therapeutics, November 2007.
- THC inhibits cycle progression of breast cancer cells by regulating the Cdc2 gene. Study published in the journal Cancer Research, July 2006. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/Cancer_Res06_66_6615_6621.pdf)
Cannabis and blood cancer (leukaemias, myelomas, lymphomas)
- The effects of CBD and its synergy with bortezomib in the pathways of multiple myeloma cells. Study published in the International Journal of Cancer, December 2013. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.28591/abstract)
- Cannabis extract treatment for lymphoblastic acute leukaemia with a Philadelphia chromosome aberration. Published in Case Reports in Oncology, September 2013. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24474921)
- Inhibition of lymphoma cell growth via activation of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 (non-Hodgkin lymphoma). Study published in the International Journal of Cancer, June 2008(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18546271).
- Effect of cannabinoids in mantle cell lymphoma. Study in the journal Molecular Pharmacology, November 2006.
Marijuana Lung Cancer
- Cannabinoids increase the destruction of lung cancer cells. The regulation of ICAM-1 receptors plays an important role in this.study published in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology, July 2014.
- Cannabidiol inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis via intercellular adhesion. Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, April 2012. (http://www.fasebj.org/content/26/4/1535.long)
- The cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, are new targets for inhibiting the growth and metastasis of cancer cells. Study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, January 2011.
- THC inhibits epidermal growth factor (EGF) of migrating lung cancer cells in vitro and their growth and metastasis in vivo. Study published in the journal Oncogene, July 2007. (http://www.nature.com/onc/journal/v27/n3/pdf/1210641a.pdf)
Cannabinoids against bowel cancer
- Inhibition of colon carcinogenesis using a standardised CBD-rich cannabis sativa extract. Study published in the journal Phytomedecine in December 2013. (http://www.phytomedicinejournal.com/article/S0944-7113%2813%2900472-8/abstract)
- Chemopreventive effect of the non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid CBD in colorectal cancer. Study published in the Journal of Molecular Medicine, August 2012. (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00109-011-0856-x)
- Cannabinoids against intestinal inflammation and cancer. Study published in Pharmacology Research, August 2009. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661809000838)
- The activity of cannabinoid receptors on colorectal tumour growth. Study published in the Cancer Center of the University of Texas, July 2008. (http://safeaccess.ca/research/pdf/MD_AndersonCancerStudy.pdf)
Cannabis and stomach cancer
- the activation of cannabinoid receptors as alternative treatments against cancer cells resistant to 5-fluorouracil stomach. Study published in the journal Anticancer Research in June 2013. (http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/33/6/2541.full.pdf)
- Cannabinoid receptor agonist as an alternative drug for in 5-fluorouracil-resistant gastric cancer cells. Antiproliferative mechanism of cannabinoids in human gastric cancer cells. Study published in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, March 2011. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcb.23041/abstract)
Marijuana Prostate Cancer
- Non-THC cannabinoids inhibit the growth of prostate cancer tumours in vitro and in vivo. Pro-apoptotic effects. British Journal of Pharmacology, December 2012. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02027.x/pdf)
- The role of cannabinoids in prostate cancer: scientific view and potential clinical applications. Study published in the Indian Journal of Urology, January 2012. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339795/)
- Induction of apoptosis in prostate and colon cancer cells by cannabinoid-dependent phosphatase. Study published in the journal Anticancer Research in November 2011. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3280884/)
Marijuana Liver Cancer
- The influence of PPARγ in the anti-tumour action of cannabinoids in hepatocellular carcinoma. (http://www.nature.com/cddis/journal/v4/n5/full/cddis2013141a.html)
- Evaluation of the antiproliferative effects of cannabinoids in human liver carcinoma cells. Study published on the Informa Healthcare website, February 2013. (http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15376516.2012.730559)
- Assessment of the anti-invasive effect of cannabinoids on human hepatocarcinoma cells. Published in Cell Death and Differentiation, April 2011. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/Cell_Death_Diff11_18_1099_111.pdf)
Cannabis and pancreatic cancer
- A study published in June 2013 in Celle Death and Desease shows that in pancreatic cancer cannabinoids inhibit the energy metabolism of the cancer cells and the self-destruction (autophagocytosis) of the tumour cells is stimulated. (http://www.nature.com/cddis/journal/v4/n6/full/cddis2013151a.htm)
- As early as 2006, a study published in Cancer Research concluded that cannabinoids can trigger programmed cell death (apoptosis) of tumour cells. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/Cancer_Res06_66_6748_6755.pdf)
Cannabis against skin cancer
- The cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 are new targets in the treatment of melanoma, according to a study published in 2006 in the Jounal of Feration of American Societies. (http://bbm1.ucm.es/cannabis/archivos/publicaciones/FASEB_J06_20_2633_2635.pdf)
- A study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in 2003 shows that the growth and methastasis of skin tumours can be inhibited by activating cannabinoid receptors. (http://www.jci.org/articles/view/16116)
Cannabis against other cancers
- Bladder: As a study published on the Medscape website in May 2013 shows, marijuana reduces the risk of bladder cancer.
- ENT (throat, mouth, nose, ears) : A 2010 study from the Department of Pediatrics at the University of New York shows that THC can kill cancer cells in the mouth and throat. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20516734)
- Bile: THC has a twofold effect on bile cancer - on the one hand it has a preventive effect in low doses, on the other hand higher doses trigger the cell death of the tumour cells. Study in the journal Cancer Investigation from May 2010 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793)
- Uterine: Cannabinoid receptors should be a therapeutic target in the treatment of uterine oesophageal cancer. Study on the website of the American Association for Cancer Research from 2006. (http://www.aacrmeetingabstracts.org/cgi/content/abstract/2006/1/1084)
Cannabis extracts offer a safe way to obtain high and relatively constant levels of CBD, THC and/or other cannabinoids. All in all, we can already look at dozens of scientific studies showing that THC, CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids can kill cancer cells. Our body's own endocannabinoids can also kill cancer cells. Those with stronger endocannabinoid systems have better cancer survival rates.
People are dying of cancer all over the world and because of this fact, we must urgently demand that more research is done on the medicinal plant cannabis and that it is made freely available to patients worldwide. When you look at the mass of scientific work that is all pointing in the same and promising direction in terms of treating and fighting cancer, the continued criminalisation of patients can no longer stand in a modern and enlightened society.