They’ve finally admitted Cannabis Cures Cancer

The website of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the US Department of Health, now confesses that marijuana cures cancer. Laboratory and animal studies have demonstrated that THC inhibits tumour growth by blocking cell growth, causing cell death and preventing the development of the blood vessels cancer cells require to grow. A laboratory study showed that THC damaged or outright killed cancer cells. There was found to have been a 45 percent reduction in cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, liver and more. Another laboratory study indicated that cannabinoids could make chemotherapy more effective. There is no lethal dose of marijuana and addictive potential is low. These studies are all regarded as pre-clinical: effects have only been observed in mice in a two-year study, with THC administered by tube feeding. Human cells were also examined. It’s a start.

Rather than an official announcement, there was no more than an update to the NCI’s FAQ page. There, the NCI reports that cannabinoids stimulate appetite, in case you hadn’t noticed, with the increase put at 75 percent compared to the 49 percent of conventional medicine. THC can play a part in pain relief and anti-inflammation – 10 milligrammes (0.0003527396195oz) of THC is more effective than 60mg of codeine. Cannabis can relieve vomiting, anxiety and nausea, and is more effective with this latter than synthetic drugs. It aids sleep.

The NCI is not the first government organisation to acknowledge the benefits of marijuana – the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a US government research body, has previously done so. In response to the NCI’s findings, Cannabis Science Inc (CBIS if you want to buy its shares) will conduct more cancer studies. In the United States, of the $1.4bn spent on marijuana research, only $300 goes to medical research, with the rest going on addiction.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in humans. There will be 22 million new cases in the next 20 years. It killed 161,823 people in the United Kingdom in 2012. There were 331,487 new cases in 2011. Cancer of the breast, respiratory tract, which includes the lungs, breasts, liver, and stomach are common in developed countries, placing a burden on their healthcare systems.

There has been some attention from the mainstream media. CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr Sanjay Gupta, declared, “It’s time for a medical marijuana revolution.” He added that with more use of cannabis medicinally, there would be less accidental painkiller overdoses – the greatest cause of preventable death in the country. He suggested that cannabis could also be useful in the treatment of epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and other medical conditions. He concluded, “We should legalise medical marijuana. We should do it nationally. And, we should do it now.”

The NCI’s website states that cannabis has been known to be useful for medicinal purposes since ancient times. While legalisation is plainly on its way, if you were to employ cannabis in the treatment of cancer in the United Kingdom, you would risk imprisonment.