'Cannabis Kills Cancer Cells,' U.S. Government Admits
Source: Yahoo News UK
In what could be a key moment for advocates of legal cannabis, the U.S. government has admitted that the drug can kill cancer cells.
In a page of official government advice, the U.S. government now says,, Cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory.
The site says that the effect has so far been seen in rodent studies, and cautions, At this time, there is not enough evidence to recommend that patients inhale or ingest Cannabis as a treatment for cancer-related symptoms or side effects of cancer therapy.
<snip>
Read more: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/-cannabis-kills-cancer-cells---u-s--government-admits-130255488.html#hEl7HVS
short circuit
(145 posts)moving cannabis off Schedule I drug list, due to the fact it does have medical benefits.
sakabatou
(42,083 posts)mountain grammy
(26,571 posts)Open the labs and test this herb... NOW! We've waited far too long.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)John Poet
(2,510 posts)It should be LEGALIZED.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)have because of their stupid 'war on drugs' and fear of 'reefer madness', they all deserve to rot in hell, if there is one.
Locrian
(4,522 posts)Double so for those that still cling to the power they have from the (still continuing) war on drugs.
dhill926
(16,234 posts)Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)The teevee doctor said that President Carter was being given medication to boost his immune system.
Don't get me wrong, I love Mr. Carter, and I want him to receive the very best treatment available. The world is a better place with him in it. But why aren't immune boosting drugs available for everyone?
Why couldn't people boost their immune systems before a cancer diagnosis?
passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)In this case, it's not a matter of surgical removal and then radiation to make sure it's gone. They don't want to operate on his brain and they don't know where it will next show up, and they expect it to show up in other places.
Not all cancers are treated the same. My mom had two breast cancers and the second time she had a mastectomy and it has been gone ever since that.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)Maybe earlier.
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)restorefreedom
(12,655 posts)and i am sure the drug companies appreciate the obscene profits they have made since then on cancer drugs
CountAllVotes
(20,854 posts)My foster grandfather died of colon cancer. Seems the last couple of months of his life he was in major pain and his daughter (my foster aunt still alive btw) called up his doctor and told him that her father was in major severe pain and they gave her an RX for some capsules that were given to him rectally and it provided great relief to him. She told me it was a form of cannabis in those capsules that she gave him.
So, yes they knew about the pain aspect of cannabis and perhaps the rest of it as well is my suspicion.
for legalization ASAP!!!
bananas
(27,509 posts)The history of medical cannabis can be traced thousands of years.
Contents
1 Ancient China and Taiwan
2 Ancient Egypt
3 Ancient India
4 Ancient Greece
5 Medieval Islamic world
6 Modern history
7 References
8 Further reading
<snip>
tblue37
(64,980 posts)dorkzilla
(5,141 posts)It also helps with MS. As soon as I get to the MS specialist next month I will ask about getting a medical marijuana card.
My mom had stage 4 non-hodgkins lymphoma and we were cooking her pot brownies to help with the chemo-related symptoms and it helped a lot; it helped with the pain and gave her a little appetite. Shes 6 years cancer-free now. Not saying it was the pot (she had a stem-cell transplant) but it did help her enormously.
bananas
(27,509 posts)This article was named by Project Censored as a "Top Censored Story of 2000":
Pot Shrinks Tumors; Government Knew in '74
In 1974 researchers learned that THC, the active chemical in marijuana, shrank or destroyed brain tumors in test mice. But the DEA quickly shut down the study and destroyed its results, which were never replicated -- until now.
By Raymond Cushing / AlterNet
May 30, 2000
The term medical marijuana took on dramatic new meaning in February, 2000 when researchers in Madrid announced they had destroyed incurable brain tumors in rats by injecting them with THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.
The Madrid study marks only the second time that THC has been administered to tumor-bearing animals; the first was a Virginia investigation 26 years ago. In both studies, the THC shrank or destroyed tumors in a majority of the test subjects.
Most Americans don't know anything about the Madrid discovery. Virtually no major U.S. newspapers carried the story, which ran only once on the AP and UPI news wires, on Feb. 29, 2000.
The ominous part is that this isn't the first time scientists have discovered that THC shrinks tumors. In 1974 researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institute of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice -- lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia.
The DEA quickly shut down the Virginia study and all further cannabis/tumor research, according to Jack Herer, who reports on the events in his book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes." In 1976 President Gerald Ford put an end to all public cannabis research and granted exclusive research rights to major pharmaceutical companies, who set out -- unsuccessfully -- to develop synthetic forms of THC that would deliver all the medical benefits without the "high."
<snip>
dorkzilla
(5,141 posts)And may I ask, what the fuck is so awful if you also get a nice buzz too (im referring to the synthetic THC without the high)? I dont smoke pot (I get paranoid, or at least I did when I was a teenager, the last time I tried it) but I drink the occasional glass of wine for a nice buzz and no one gets on their high-horse about that.
Such a disappointment.
GoneFishin
(5,217 posts)this knowledge because it can be grown at home and might cut into their sales of $2,500 per treatment chemo drugs.
restorefreedom
(12,655 posts)abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)Please tell me this news means they will be testing treatments for humans now.
shraby
(21,946 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)tblue37
(64,980 posts)How are pharmaceutical companies supposed to milk obscene profits out of a ubiquitous weed?
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)That's when our government knew. 41 years and counting.
bananas
(27,509 posts)Cannabis Effects: U.S. Government Finally Admits Cannabis Kills Cancer Cells
Aug 21, 2015 11:30 AM EDT | By Maria Leonila Masculino
The U.S. government funded a study to prove that cannabis has "no accepted medical use". Metro UK reports that results of the study actually prove otherwise - cannabis actually kills cancer cells.
<snip>
The research commissioned by the government was conducted by scientists at London's St. George's University. Study shows that two cannabinoids found in marijuana - tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) weakened cancer cells, making cannabis an effective cure for cancer aside from radiation treatment.
According to NIDA, "recent animal studies have shown that marijuana can kill certain cells and reduce the size of others."
"Evidence from one animal study suggests that extracts from whole-plant marijuana can shrink one of the most serious types of brain tumours. Research in mice showed that these extracts, when used with radiation, increased the cancer-killing effects of the radiation."
<snip>
bananas
(27,509 posts)The National Cancer Institute Updates FAQ Page: Cannabis Kills Cancer
By Monterey Bud on August 21, 2015 Health & Medicine
The NCI, more commonly known as The National Cancer Institute, recently revised its FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page regarding marijuana and its medicinal properties noting that marijuanas cannabinoids kill cancer.
The government backed website cites a handful of recent studies which drill down how cannabis may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow while at the same time protecting healthy cells from damage.
Undeniable Science: A laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells showed that it caused cancer cell death while having little effect on normal breast cells, noted the NCI. Studies in mouse models of metastatic breast cancer showed that cannabinoids may lessen the growth, number, and spread of tumors.
Below are just a few of the interesting marijuana factoids provided by NCI:
<snip>
Unfortunately, hypocrisy still rules the day: Regardless of the mountain of scientific evidence, demonstrating that marijuanas cannabinoids have medicinal benefits, the feds both maintain a patent on cannabinoids and fight to keep the plant and its many beneficial compounds illegal. While at the same time the Food and Drug Administration authorizes pricey pharmaceuticals with host of ugly side effects.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)candelista
(1,986 posts)That's been the holy grail for about 10 years, with limited success.
Uncle Joe
(58,112 posts)Thanks for the thread, bananas.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)jeff47
(26,549 posts)And then develop a concentrated version of that chemical to give as a medication.
Just like we take aspirin pills instead of chewing on leaves.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)Now the proverbial cat is out of the bag and it's already common knowledge. Pretty cheap to plant a few seeds in the backyard. But the dispensaries are what will make the difference. Knowing the different strands, uses, etc...a natural kind of pharmacist.
I lived near Oakland, CA and they had a pot-growing university I think it was called Oaksterdam or something. They shut it down a couple of years ago and don't know whether it came back, but it was amazing the information and technology that was available.
No medical or pharmeceutical degress required. It's a really big deal.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Again, aspirin was found because chewing on the bark or leaves of a tree relieved pain.
Then pharma figured out what the chemical was, made a more concentrated version of it, and started selling pills.
Same with this. There's going to be one or two chemicals that are the actual active ingredient. And pharma will figure out which one, and make a more concentrated version in a more convenient form.
And yes, you could just go back to the plant, just like you can go back to the plant with aspirin. But lots of people will prefer the artificial version for a variety of reasons.
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)bananas
(27,509 posts)But the chemicals are also psychoactive, and our Puritanical system wouldn't allow it:
Pot Shrinks Tumors; Government Knew in '74
<snip>
In 1976 President Gerald Ford put an end to all public cannabis research and granted exclusive research rights to major pharmaceutical companies, who set out -- unsuccessfully -- to develop synthetic forms of THC that would deliver all the medical benefits without the "high."
<snip>
In 1983 the Reagan/Bush Administration tried to persuade American universities and researchers to destroy all 1966-76 cannabis research work, including compendiums in libraries, reports Jack Herer, who states, "We know that large amounts of information have since disappeared."
<snip>
The 1975 journal article doesn't mention breast cancer tumors, which featured in the only newspaper story ever to appear about the 1974 study -- in the Local section of the Washington Post on August 18, 1974. Under the headline, "Cancer Curb Is Studied," it read in part:
"The active chemical agent in marijuana curbs the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice and may also suppress the immunity reaction that causes rejection of organ transplants, a Medical College of Virginia team has discovered." The researchers "found that THC slowed the growth of lung cancers, breast cancers and a virus-induced leukemia in laboratory mice, and prolonged their lives by as much as 36 percent."
<snip>
I saw the Reagan revisionism happen myself - I was in the library stacks in the early 80's and saw a librarian pulling out books. She said the Reagan administration was going to cut funding if they didn't. She was very upset, I offered to check them out permanently, but she said they wouldn't let anyone check them out anymore. I offered to hide a few in my backpack, but she said they were very clear they had to account for every book, if any went missing there would be trouble. She indicated the department heads and faculty had already capitulated and there wasn't anything that could be done.
edit to add: Here's the journal paper (published 1975) for the 1974 study:
Antineoplastic activity of cannabinoids
<snip>
Abstract
Lewis lung adenocarcinoma growth was retarded by the oral administration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, and cannabinol (CBN), but not cannabidiol (CBD). Animals treated for 10 consecutive days with delta-9-THC, beginning the day after tumor implantation, demonstrated a dose-dependent action of retarded tumor growth. Mice treated for 20 consecutive days with delta-8-THC and CBN had reduced primary tumor size. CBD showed no inhibitory effect on tumor growth at 14, 21, or 28 days. Delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC, and CBN increased the mean survival time (36% at 100 mg/kg, 25% at 200 mg/kg, and 27% at 50 mg/kg;, respectively), whereas CBD did not. Delta-9-THC administered orally daily until death in doses of 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg did not increase the life-spans of (C57BL/6 X DBA/2) F (BDF) mice hosting the L1210 murine leukemia. However, delta-9-THC administered daily for 10 days significantly inhibited Friend leukemia virus-induced splenomegaly by 71% at 200 mg/kg as compared to 90.2% for actinomycin D. Experiments with bone marrow and isolated Lewis lung cells incubated in vitro with delta-8-THC and delta-9-THC showed a dose-dependent (10 -4 10 -7) inhibition (80-20%, respectively) of tritiated thymidine and 14C -uridine uptake into these cells. CBD was active only in high concentrations (10 -4)
onethatcares
(16,133 posts)is a cancer victim and I just showed her these articles and she told me "well, the insurance companies wouldn't lie". "there's not reason for them to do so". I hate to say it but she's waiting for Jesus to heal her and I sincerely hope He does but I'm losing my fucking mind trying to help her out.
Please forgive my going off the deep end, but damm it. I"m tired.
SamKnause
(13,043 posts)are going through.
I am surprised your wife doesn't think insurance companies would lie.
Our government, the insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies have been lying
about cannabis for decades.
They have been lying about many things for decades.
There are more deaths caused by pharmaceutical drugs than by illegal street drugs.
There has never been a documented death attributed to cannabis.
It has been used for thousands of years.
It has been researched around the world, but the U.S. stifles research on cannabis.
Don't apologize for being at the end of your rope.
I wish I could do something to ease your frustration.
onethatcares
(16,133 posts)fuck, I post on the cancer forum but I don't know what to do or say any more. I really don't I'm swimming upstream against a waterfall and I'm tired.
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)I feel your pain but try not to give up.
lostnfound
(16,138 posts)I hope it works out. If you mean she's waiting for Jesus to cure her while she doesn't get any other treatment, maybe talking to survivors of similar condition would give her hope and courage.
Hang in there.
Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)am so sorry your wife has such imaginings at this time. Was she raised in a faith? This could be the direct cause of such wishing, fear.
Someone once explained his belief to me as a fear, "I'm not sure I really believe all of this church stuff, but if I don't try and they end up being right I would go to hell."
I am sorry you are being so stressed.
Does she like cookies or brownies? Not real serious about that but it is becoming such a blessing to so many more now. Her Jesus, in the Bible, used it. Maybe it would help you to get through? Just a thought.
onethatcares
(16,133 posts)I just got through a conversation where I've been told I have to have faith. Well, I've seen faith and I've seen death and anything in between is good.
I gotta take a bit of a break on the death and dying. I'm tired of my life being run by meds and doctor visits and every other medical intrusion that can be foisted upon a human being. I really need a break.
I'm going to let this conversation go for now. thanks.
shenmue
(38,502 posts)"In a page of official government advice, the U.S. government now says,, Cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory."
I read the whole article at the link. It does not specify what study, department, laboratory or aspect of "the U.S. government now says" anything like that.
Awfully unspecific. "Official government advice"?
Where from?
The Department of Health? Something else?
"Official government advice" sounds very vague. I would take this with a huge grain of salt, until somebody shows that it's not too good to be true.
bananas
(27,509 posts)Posts 3 and 4 link to articles with much more information.
shenmue
(38,502 posts)Much better.
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)christx30
(6,241 posts)didn't go to enrich the people that work at Big Pharma.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)Government website, no copyright limits.
Preclinical studies of cannabinoids have investigated the following activities:
Antitumor activity
Studies in mice and rats have shown that cannabinoids may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells.
A study in mice showed that cannabinoids may protect against inflammation of the colon and may have potential in reducing the risk of colon cancer, and possibly in its treatment.
A laboratory study of delta-9-THC in hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) cells showed that it damaged or killed the cancer cells. The same study of delta-9-THC in mouse models of liver cancer showed that it had antitumor effects. Delta-9-THC has been shown to cause these effects by acting on molecules that may also be found in non-small cell lung cancer cells and breast cancer cells.
A laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells showed that it caused cancer cell death while having little effect on normal breast cells. Studies in mouse models of metastatic breast cancer showed that cannabinoids may lessen the growth, number, and spread of tumors.
A laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in human glioma cells showed that when given along with chemotherapy, CBD may make chemotherapy more effective and increase cancer cell death without harming normal cells. Studies in mouse models of cancer showed that CBD together with delta-9-THC may make chemotherapy such as temozolomide more effective.
more at link above
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)steve2470
(37,457 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Laws similar to alcohol laws can regulate the retail sale of products made from the plant.
eggplant
(3,893 posts)I'm sure PhARMA, the DEA, the DOJ, and Partnership for a Drug Free America would approve.
And the excerpts:
...the U.S. government has admitted that the drug can kill...
...the U.S. government now says,, Cannabis has been shown to kill...
punguin54
(47 posts)So only us pathetic pot smokers who fear incarceration will reap the benefits.
Chemisse
(30,793 posts)BeanMusical
(4,389 posts)Half-Century Man
(5,279 posts)Check it out and call your congresscritter.
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)I also think it is a preventative with its antioxidant qualities. I started smoking when I was 16, now I'm 60. Feeling in mighty good health too!
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)hope it continues.
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)My doctor is always amazed at my test numbers - everything perfect - I really do attribute my good health to MJ. Reminds me, time to smoke my bedtime joint.
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)I do believe oral ingestion is more beneficial though healthwise.
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)Indeed a wonder plant for all kinds of uses including food and fuel, and plastics. Getting off the health issue, sorry.
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)we will not ever truly be free until we stop accepting their lies and deceptions on this and so many other issues!
shanti
(21,670 posts)and it can be vaped, so no "smoke" either. now, if they could just stop testing for it in the employment sector so i can get a little pt job!
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)Very few employers will be willing to ban their employees because they took a few hits at a party 2 weeks ago. It would affect some of the best and most knowledgeable people they employ. It has to change, and the sooner the better. Go Bernie!
SCVDem
(5,103 posts)Did they ask cancer patients if they partake? I wonder what the percentage is.
Did that crappy Columbian dirt weed with the stems and seeds that we don't need, qualify?
Big Bambu would be a waste these days, wouldn't it?
SamKnause
(13,043 posts)I take zero pharmaceutical drugs.
My brother started at 19/now 60.
He takes zero pharmaceutical drugs.
I can't say the same about my other two siblings.
My oldest sister died of breast cancer at 55.
She never used cannabis.
My other sister is 65 and she is always sick and takes
prescription drugs.
She has never used or even tried cannabis.
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)catrose
(5,048 posts)And close friends and their families too, could they let us have some, please?
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)Gregorian
(23,867 posts)And there's edible, dermal patches, smoking, etc. Smoking having the least absorbtion, and dermal the highest, if I recall.
It's infuriating that people are, and have been, suffering while this essential food has been outlawed. I'm ashamed of my country.
It won't be long. I had my CBD's for the night, hopefully others will soon. Best wishes for those in your family with illness.
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)For decades. Motherfuckers. Moral Crusaders and alchohol special interests. Pack of murderers.
pscot
(21,023 posts)in 1964.
Kath1
(4,309 posts)K&R.
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)Spread the word!
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)Mr_Jefferson_24
(8,559 posts)...that Big Gummint would tightly restrict our access to an herb that heals--soooooooo predictable.
Mr_Jefferson_24
(8,559 posts)... this is the kind of propaganda I grew up with, and we got hit with it just about everywhere, not just on Dragnet delivered by Jack Webb:
herding cats
(19,549 posts)If I'm not mistaken this is due to research from Spain where it was shown THC killed a certain type of brain cancer cells. Of course his type of cancer may be different than what was studied, but still it would be worth looking into. I know cannabis doesn't work on all types of cancer, but it's still worth looking into.
I know a person who died of cancer today. We were acquaintances via another person, and I only knew them for less than the last month. They had cancer which spread to their lymphatic system and eventually their brain, among other places. Two weeks ago they went into hospice care at home and they told me then it was "everyplace" at that time. They never did any sort of treatment for their cancer because it was stage 4 when it was first diagnosed. They were a long time pot smoker and it did nothing to,prevent it or slow it down, but it did help them manage the pain a bit.
What I'm saying here is it's not a cure all. It may help in some cases of a few specific cancers, but it won't prevent others or even impact them in a significant way. Be smart people and get treatment. Don't assume because you use cannabis you're immune. You're not, and it won't have an impact at all on most forms of cancer.
shanti
(21,670 posts)died from cancer, and we all know how much he smoked, so yeah, not all cancers are the same.
RandiFan1290
(6,206 posts)It helps to read up on the subject instead of spreading misinformation.
shanti
(21,670 posts)he was ingesting cannabis on a daily basis via smoking, etc., but it had no effect on his cancer, i.e., it helps some, but not all, cancers.
i don't know what YOU'RE going on about, but i'm hardly spreading misinformation, just stating facts.
RandiFan1290
(6,206 posts)That is why it sounds silly to compare smoking a few joints to ingesting several pounds worth of oil within a short amount of time.
A lot of good information in the links above.
People are tired of waiting for permission and are doing it themselves.
Liberty Belle
(9,528 posts)He told her he's smoking cannabis.
He hasn't had chemo in 3 years and it usually doesn't stay manageable for so long at his stage, apparently.
he gets worse when he travels to visit family in a state where buying medical cannabis isn't legal, or when he runs short of money to buy it. With it, he has a lot less pain and nausea, but also his blood marker levels have stayed the same for several visits now -- and the doctor was so surprised she called and asked him to come in so she could question him about what he's been doing that's working.
Kick!
Babel_17
(5,400 posts)JEB
(4,748 posts)a prevention regimen?
shanti
(21,670 posts)that they've been sitting on this info for some time now....
tblue37
(64,980 posts)people make out like bandits because of the war on drugs: LEOs, PDs, private prison companies, politicians, gangsters (who also have influence on politicians and policy because money matters most), banks that launder drug money, etc.
Since pot is the most widely used and the easiest to go after, legalizing it would seriously undermine both budgets and power among such stakeholders in the war on drugs. And that is what such people and agencies are: stakeholders who fight to retain the benefits they enjoy because of the war on drugs. It really is Prohibition 2.0.
inanna
(3,547 posts)This is awesome news!
Thanks for posting, bananas.
MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)I think Jimmy Carter should consider this at least as an adjunct treatment to his melanoma.
Now, come to think of why we have had this news suppressed
If the big "C" could be combated with a plant that can grow just about anywhere, where would big pharma be these days?
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)They wanted their study to prove once and for all that pot was bad for you, but got that pot was good for you. Been lying ever since and let millions die just because.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)At this time, there is not enough evidence to recommend that patients inhale or ingest Cannabis as a treatment for cancer-related symptoms or side effects of cancer therapy.
more denial from the drug warriors.
Gonzalo
(13 posts)Cannabis had medical purposes since the beginning. So for real not a surprise it can help with Cancer cells.