Molecular Biologist Explains How Cannabis Kills Cancer Cells
The anti-cancer assertions made by medical cannabis advocates are no longer just based on anecdotal success stories. In the following video, Dr. Christina Sanchez, Biology Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, explains how her research supports the claim that cannabis kills cancer.
Study Shows THC in Cannabis Kills Cancer
Sanchez was involved in several studies that indicated that the THC cannabinoid in cannabis kills cancer cells. These laboratory studies involved the application of THC compounds to brain cancer cell cultures. Furthermore, the researches conducted several animal studies.
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical compound in cannabis responsible for its psychoactive effects. Sanchez and her team discovered that after being treated with THC, cancer cells were committing suicide. This differs from other cancer treatments, as for example chemotheraphy, because THC is able to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy cells. On the other hand, conventional cancer treatments do not make this distinction. Sanchez explains:
One of the advantages of cannabinoids, or cannabinoid based medicines, would be that they target a specifically, tumor cells. They don’t have any toxic effect on normal, non-tumoral cells. This is an advantage with respect to standard chemotherapy that target basically everything.
Sanchez further reveals that the cancer-killing effect of THC is potentiated by the presence of CBD, or cannabidiol. CBD is a very potent antioxidant. It protects the brain from stress and damage, in addition to its cancer-killing properties. These synergistic effects of both THC and CBD could make for a very powerful cancer treatment. Sanchez adds:
I cannot understand why in the states cannabis is under schedule I, because it is pretty obvious not only from our work but from work from many other researchers that the plant has very wide therapeutic potential.
Cannabinoids and the Endocannabinoid System
The human body responds to the cannabinoids in the cannabis plant because it also makes its own natural cannabinoids. These endocannabinoids help establish and maintain human health.
This endocannabinoid system of the body has many important biological functions. It affects appetite, mood, locomotor behavior, reproduction, and many other functions.
The endogenous cannabinoid system, named after the plant that led to its discovery, is perhaps the most important physiologic system involved in establishing and maintaining human health. Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body: in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells. In each tissue, the cannabinoid system performs different tasks, but the goal is always the same: homeostasis, the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite fluctuations in the external environment. (source)
Mounting research continues to establish a strong case for the miraculous healing capabilities of cannabinoids. Our support of cannabis plant cultivation and continued scientific research will lead to more availability of various cannabis strains specifically designed to have high doses of certain cannabinoids and thus serve as safe medication for horrific ailments.
The use of medical marijuana and cannabis-derived medicines in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, epilepsy, chronic pain, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, depression, etc., will continue to grow. Cannabis may yet become one of the most useful natural remedies to some of the most crippling diseases of mankind.
Read more articles by Anna Hunt.
About the Author
Anna Hunt is writer, yoga instructor, mother of three, and lover of healthy food. She’s the founder of Awareness Junkie, an online community paving the way for better health and personal transformation. She’s also the co-editor at Waking Times, where she writes about optimal health and wellness. Anna spent 6 years in Costa Rica as a teacher of Hatha and therapeutic yoga. She now teaches at Asheville Yoga Center and is pursuing her Yoga Therapy certification. During her free time, you’ll find her on the mat or in the kitchen, creating new kid-friendly superfood recipes.
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