By NewsGram Staff Writer

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, a US federal government research institute, has officially announced that marijuana holds the power to kill cancer cells.

Cannabis’ potential medical benefits were accounted in a report issued by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports:

“Recent animal studies have shown that marijuana can kill certain cancer 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 tumors. Research in mice showed that these extracts, when used with radiation, increased the cancer-killing effects of the radiation.”

NIDA also revealed that two chemicals present in marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabinoid (CBD), used as medication for cancer patients proved to be effective in the treatment of the fatal form of brain tumors.

The was released shortly after the Senate moved to end the federal ban on medical marijuana by classifying it as a Schedule II drug instead of Schedule I.

Also, it was declared by the Surgeon General of USA, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy in February 2015 that Cannabis offers health benefits. In addition, the NIDA fact sheet on medical marijuana was updated with the potency of CBD, which is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, for the treatment of Alzheimers Disease, inflammation and pain to seizures, mental disorders and substance abuse.

“It couldn’t be any clearer that marijuana has medical value. When even NIDA and the surgeon general are acknowledging that marijuana can help people who are suffering, it is time for the Obama administration to reschedule the drug. The attorney general can initiate that process today, and there’s no reason for him not to, especially when polling shows that such a huge majority of Americans supports medical marijuana,” said Tom Angell, chairman of the Marijuana Majority.

Now, the big question is why the US government still continues the ban on weed for individual use? However, a statement released by the government on Wednesday stated that while it will not stop states that allow medical marijuana from carrying out their programs, it will still arrest marijuana users.