A HAZY cloud of controversy hangs in the air surrounding the legalisation of Cannabis in South Africa.

The drug, or the plant, depending which side of the fence one prefers, has been in the spotlight in recent times, following a ruling in the Western Cape High Court in March 2017 that looked set to allow the individual to own, grow and use Marijuana, as long as it was specifically for private use, be it recreational or for medicinal purposes.

Approximately three decades of research into the medical benefits of Cannabis seem to have revealed the one thing that pharmaceutical companies would probably prefer we didn’t know… Cannabis kills cancer cells.

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Malignant cancer cells grow and divide, if left untreated. The antiproliferative effect of compounds found in the Cannabis plant are believed to halt this growth, thereby curbing the spread of the disease in the patient. Metastatic cancers, which are among some of the most difficult to treat due to the ability of the cancer cells to migrate to other parts of the body, can be controlled with the use of Cannabinoids as well. Research suggests that cannabis prevents cancer cells from spreading and adhering to other healthy tissue within the body.

Further research has revealed the plant’s ability to starve the disease. Certain compounds within the plant have anti-angiogenic properties that inhibit tumour growth by ensuring that the tumour’s source of food is cut off by curbing the process of angiogenesis, which is basically the tumour’s ability to develop new blood vessels which enables it to steal nutrients and oxygen from other parts of the patient’s body.

In other studies it was discovered that treatment with Cannabis compounds caused cancer cells to kill themselves. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But there’s even a name for that – apoptosis. This phenomenon describes the ability of a cell in a healthy person to self destruct when it becomes old or damaged. Cancer cells do not have this ability and therefore continue to grow. Until you treat them with Cannabis, that is.

The number of diseases that can be successfully treated using Cannabis or compounds thereof, currently exceeds 200. With cancer, however, there are some types that are more responsive to Cannabinoid treatment. Brain cancer, Breast cancer, Colon cancer, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Leukemia, Liver cancer, Lung cancer, Prostate cancer, Stomach cancer and Skin cancer have all shown positive responses to treatment with Cannabis or compounds of this miracle plant.

While this may inspire some to light up and celebrate, it is important to consider that the medical benefits of ‘Mary Jane’ don’t come from a joint.

Medical cannabis oil, sometimes referred to as Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), is the concentrated essential oil of the cannabis plant. Rick Simpson cured his own cancer using cannabis oil, which he sourced and manufactured himself after his doctor’s refusal to acknowledge or attempt the treatment. He went on to cure approximately 5000 people with this recipe. Despite attempts to shut him down and several arrests, Simpson has released the recipe for his miracle cure, which can be found on the internet.

But before you rush out and roll a doobie, bear in mind that, despite the Western Cape High Court ruling, the legalisation of ‘Weed’ has not taken place.

According to sources at Vryheid SAPS, the ruling has not been approved and South Africans are still a very long way away from lighting up or possessing this powerful plant within the frame of the law.

“If you are caught with dagga, you will be arrested…” is the stern warning from one officer.

One has to wonder, however, if science suggests that Cannabis can cure, or at the very least alleviate the symptoms of cancer, why is it still outlawed in an era where this dreaded disease is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases? What do you think?