By TruthOnPot.com, exclusive to TheJointBlog

Evidence of a role for medical marijuana in treating cancer seems to be growing with every day that passes. Just this past month, an update (1) was published in the Oncology Nursing Forum (ONF) on the topic of medical marijuana and breast cancer.

Well, maybe not medical marijuana per say, but close enough. The update summarized the current state of breast cancer research so far and the potential for cannabinoids to be used as a medical treatment. Cannabinoids are the group of chemicals found in marijuana, such as THC and CBD.

While cancer research has yet to be conducted on actual marijuana, researchers have made great progress in this field by using THC instead. In fact, studies (2) show that THC has strong cancer-fighting effects and can prevent both tumor growth and cancer metastasis – the spreading of cancer to other parts of the body – when tested on animals. On the other hand, studies have yet to be done on humans, which makes it difficult for scientists to say for sure what the effects might be.

In the case of breast cancer, recent studies (3) suggest similar effects. This is encouraging to both patients and doctors alike, as breast cancer happens to be the most common form of cancer among women. In 2011, breast cancer claimed the lives of nearly 40,000 women in the US alone.

Susan Weiss Behrend, associate editor of the ONF and author of the article, concluded by stating:

“…cannabinoids have demonstrated antitumor activity in preclinical breast cancer models. Practicing oncology professionals need to be aware of the clinical potential of these agents…”

Having seen breast cancer affect the lives of many in my personal network, I can only imagine the stories that others have to tell of this terrible disease.

Until federal policies change, cancer patients will continue to have limited access to this medicine.

Sources

(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23448745

(2) http://www.truthonpot.com/2013/03/09/medical-marijuana-the-future-of-breast-cancer-therapy/

(3) http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/68/2/339.full

TruthOnPot.com is an online resource for medical marijuana facts, information and research.