HOW and WHY Does Cannabis Cure Cancer

[Segami]

Last edited Sat Aug 17, 2013, 10:51 AM - Edit history (1)

[Chemisse]

1. This wasn't much of a scientific explanation.

The cannaboids attach to the cancer cell receptors, then "They can tell the cell to die". How exactly? And why would they not have the same effect on healthy cells?

I am pretty skeptical.

[darkangel218]

3. I have an explanation.

I don't think is so much on a biochemical level, but rather it works more like the placebo effect.

I strongly believe in the power of mind over the body.
There are countless examples where people have been cured simply because they believed it 100%.

I believe pot gives people that "kick" they need to fight and defeat cancer.

[CanSocDem]

9. ...and a good one it is.

I have long held belief that it is ALL a "placebo effect". I can't remember when I first started believing this, but it would probably correlate positively with the time I started using cannabis..........and discovered that it cured any malady that I could be talked into believing.

.

[Voice for Peace]

51. laughter is one of the healthiest things a body can do.

[Liberal Veteran]

37. They cause cancer cells to die by making them get the munchies and play video games all day...

...instead of reproducing like they are supposed to do. There have been some cases of cancer cells getting the giggles and laughing themselves to death (apoptosis giggliosa).

[bravenak]

57. Oh yeah! ^^ this right here^^^

[wildbilln864]

79. welcome to DU.

[Segami]

80. The Union - Marijuana Documentary

[cali]

2. It is not a cure for cancer

It may be a treatment for it but that doesn't make it a cure and that video doesn't make the case. Only one study has been done on humans. that was in Spain and it was decidedly inconclusive. More research is needed. More funding is needed. that's not happening in this country and it's only happening in a limited form in other countries. The research done has been of rats, mice and on tissue.

I wish people would stop touting it as a cure. It's cruel. It's one thing to call it a potential treatment or even a treatment, but that doesn't make it a cure. Some of the worst quacks (and I'm not including Grinspoon in that category) are out there trying to profit off the suffering of those with cancer.

[mucifer]

4. I totally agree.

[Chemisse]

5. It is sad to do that to people, and it could easily detract

from the attention that cannibus does deserve as a treatment for chemo side effects.

[Segami]

6. It does a lot more than just serve as a "treatment for chemo side effects"

But then again, you already labeled yourself "pretty skeptical".

[cali]

7. there is litttle scientific evidence backing up such claims

and posting these you tube testimonials simply is NOT scientific evidence in any way. I can post youtube testimonials for baking soda claims that that cures cancer.

More research is needed, but please don't tout a cure when there is scant evidence to support it. One clinical study has been done with humans with brain cancer tumors and cannabis. It wasn't with hemp oil but with a THC solution intracranially. The results were not terribly encouraging.

http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v95/n2/full/6603236a.html

Here is a good British summation of the evidence to date on cannabinoids and cancer research

http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2012/07/25/cannabis-cannabinoids-and-cancer-the-evidence-so-far/

[AZ Progressive]

10. Scientists have been effectively banned from researching the benefits of Cannabis

Even Sanjay Gupta said that. The benefits of Cannabis are not funded, only studies looking for the harm in it. In addition, there were initial studies that showed that Cannabis reduced tumors in mice in the mid 70's, but shortly after the funding was pulled and the research was thus ended by President Ford in 1976.

[cali]

11. Not in other countries

Guzman's study was in Spain. I suggest you click the link to the U.K. site. It has some pretty comprehensive info. Yes, we need to change the climate in the U.S. and enable more research, but studies on mice and on tissue are NOT evidence of a cure.

[AZ Progressive]

12. Marijuana is banned in most of the world and thus has a bad reputation

You don't think that would hurt the ability to get research funding?

[AZ Progressive]

15. About that study....

http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2012/07/25/cannabis-cannabinoids-and-cancer-the-evidence-so-far/#can-treat

"But that’s the lab – what about clinical research involving people with cancer? Results have been published from only one clinical trial testing whether cannabinoids can treat cancer in patients, led by Dr Manuel Guzman and his team in Spain. Nine people with advanced, terminal glioblastoma multiforme – an aggressive brain tumour – were given highly purified THC through a tube directly into their brain.

Eight people’s cancers showed some kind of response to the treatment, and one didn’t respond at all. All the patients died within a year, as might be expected for people with cancer this advanced."

I may be mistaken but that's not a normal way of administering thc / cannabis. And I don't think thats the method that these people who claim to have treated their cancer have done. There may be differences that may not be known. I don't think its a representatative study.

Even if Cannabis doesn't cure all cancers, it might still be better than the toll that chemotherapy does on people, which itself can kill patients.

[cali]

16. It's absurd to claim that Cannabis cures cancer.

the evidence simply does not exist. If people choose to go on the much touted hemp oil protocol that's certainly their right but the vast majority of those promoting it are hucksters out to make bucks.

Btw, there was no control group in Guzman's trial so it's difficult to assess.

People's claims of cures are NOT scientific evidence. Take them as you wish, just don't claim that the constitute scientific evidence that cannabinnoids cure cancer.

[liberal_at_heart]

28. the best research being done on it right now is in Isreal. That is where I would look to see

some real results from research. But I agree. Right now there just isn't enough research and not enough evidence yet to support the claim that it cures it.

[Th1onein]

54. It's a little difficult to get scientific evidence when there's little research being done to

develop it.

[cali]

60. which is why I support legalization or at the very least

reclassification as well as funding for research. but that's another story. The endless bogus claims that there's proof that marijuana cures cancer, are just that; bogus.

[Th1onein]

62. I don't know that I'd call them bogus. They are supported by evidence; just not enough.

[Chemisse]

36. Skepticism is good.

It means I require a lot more solid evidence before I break out the celebratory bong.

[tridim]

55. Not yet at least. nt

[Sunlei]

8. The Seth group, Ca. They have a PTSD study now and looking for people to participate

The SETH group's President, Dr. Sean McAllister, is a molecular pharmacologist at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute. Dr. McAllister earned his bachelor's degree in Biology and his doctoral degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. McAllister's doctorate research focused on the interactions of cannabinoids with their endogenous receptors. He completed postdoctoral training at the Forbes Norris Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Research Center where he was part of the first group to discover that the cannabinoid, THC, was effective at delaying the onset of ALS in a genetic mouse model. Findings led to a small pilot clinical trial with positive outcomes. Dr. McAllister was trained and funded by the National Institutes of Health and has been studying endocannabinoid pharmacology for over a decade.

http://www.thesethgroup.org/#!the-seth-group-home/mainPage

[X_Digger]

13. ...

[cali]

44. yes. and again and again and again.

what's interesting is the fury that erupts when those peddling this unproven claim, are presented with facts. They lie. and then lie some more and make outlandish accusations.

[X_Digger]

64. Yeah, I thought that hidden post was hilarious (I know, I shouldn't..)

Science? Bah, man, that's just big pharma keeping the man down. I hear they came up with an engine that runs on water, too..

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. MJ may not cure cancer, I'm not certain

.
.
.

But I DO know that it sure eases the pain and suffering.

That's good enough reason to legalise it methinks.

Who the hell gets violent on MJ?

No one I've ever known.

CC

[cali]

18. Agreed.

[AZ Progressive]

17. I'm not sure if Marijuana cures cancer, but it should be given a chance

And studied in an unbiased manner (which the stupid War on Drugs and propaganda like Reefer Madness has prevented.)

I think that there's a fear that if marijuana even is shown to cure or effectively treat some cancers, then there's a lot of blood in the hands of people who have promoted the War on Drugs.

[cali]

19. you do understand that there is no one such disease as cancer, right?

it's a broad group of diseases. That's one reason why claiming that marijuana cures cancer is so bogus.

[AZ Progressive]

21. So does it have to cure ALL cancers?

Even if it cured one or a few it would be a great thing.

[cali]

24. Did I say anything remotely like that? Of course not

I explained to you one reason why that claim is so bogus.

your grasp on this seems slight.

[GaYellowDawg]

22. Now THAT is an interesting point

Different types of cancer require different treatments right now. Highly unlikely that there would be one therapeutic agent that would effectively fight all of them.

[kestrel91316]

38. Your lack of a medical background is showing. Cancer is, in all cases, the

overgrowth of abnormal cells that no longer provoke a defensive reaction from the body's immune system, which ordinarily recognizes that the cells are not obeying "the rules", ie ceasing growth/reproduction when they butt up against neighbors.

Any organ can be involved, but it's all the same malfunction. Cancer cells arise in our bodies ALL THE TIME. Our immune system normally recognizes them and kills them. "Cancer" just means that the immune system has failed to recognize a particular abnormal cell and its progeny. It is ultimately a malfunction of a component of the immune system.

[cali]

41. terrifying that YOU claim to be a medical professional. From the Stanford U. Cancer Institute

This is standard info, oh great medical expert. Yes, they all have in common metastasis

<snip>

Cancer is not just one disease but rather a group of diseases, all of which cause cells in the body to change and grow out of control. Cancers are classified either according to the kind of fluid or tissue from which they originate, or according to the location in the body where they first developed. In addition, some cancers are of mixed types.

<snip>
http://cancer.stanford.edu/information/cancerOverview.html

have some more to chew on, great medical expert. Oh, of course YOU know better than all the real experts in the field. How could I forget that.

<snip>


Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Other terms used are malignant tumours and neoplasms. One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, and which can then invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs. This process is referred to as metastasis. Metastases are the major cause of death from cancer.

<snip>

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/index?gclid=CLKp4diQhbkCFcOe4AodqREAxA
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-29/less-risky-growths-need-less-frightening-name-than-cancer.html




Go tell Stanford, the WHO, the American CancerSociety and virtually EVERY OTHER REPUTABLE SOURCE that YOU know better.

[cali]

43. My posting facts and links to actual scientific information scare you

Last edited Sat Aug 17, 2013, 05:48 PM - Edit history (1)

tough.

[Phlem]

56. Wow.

defensive much? As with all science, facts are true until they're proven false. Science changes, what we know today is a hell of a lot different than what we know 100 years ago. I've been using cannabis since a teenager and I've had PTSD since grade school. It's the only thing that's kept me from going over the edge. Just because it hasn't been proven to kill cancer now doesn't that will be case from now on and into the future. More research has to be done on something that's been forbidden fruit for a long time.

Now, back away from the ledge and smoke a bowl.

-p

[cali]

59. nope. not defensive. science is built on evidence

falsifiability.

I use marijuana too for the extreme pain that goes with having CRPS. I find it helpful. that's not science.

Your anecdote isn't science.

Grab a clue.

[Phlem]

67. Oh Ok

cause you've got science all down.

My example had nothing to do with cancer and science but was merely there to point out how it help's me.

If you going to be this vindictive and paranoid about being challenged then there's a telling fucking clue.

oh and it's "get" a clue.



-p

[cali]

85. Falsely calling me names won't change the facts

They are what they are whether you like it or not.

I post links to actual credible facts about marijuana and cancer.

You call names.

[Rex]

20. If it cures cancer, wouldn't there be empirical evidence to prove this?

Something visual that you could see and record as the cancer cells become less and less? Maybe even do a trial based study on the drug?

[cali]

25. there are some pre-clinical trials that indicate that.

More funding and studies are needed.

[AZ Progressive]

23. Does anyone here suggest the current way of "curing cancer" with up to $100000 chemotherapy drugs...

...that which can take a heavy toll and certainly not always work, not to mention the disincentive for the drug industry to find a cure, is a good thing?

[cali]

26. It's a good thing for those who survive and wouldn't have without the drugs

[AZ Progressive]

27. Tommy Chong Says He's 'Cancer-Free'

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tommy-chong-says-hes-cancer-520981

The “Cheech and Chong” comedian credits his Canadian doctor and marijuana use with beating the disease.

Tommy Chong has beaten prostate cancer, the comedian announced in a post on CelebStoner earlier this week.

Tommy Chong on His Prostate Cancer: 'Cannabis Is a Cure'
He credited his care under a doctor in Victoria, BC, who Chong said changed his diet and gave him supplements. Chong said he treated his cancer with “hash oil” and a session with healer Adam Dreamhealer.
“That's right, I kicked cancer's ass!” Chong wrote. “So the magic plant does cure cancer with the right diet and supplements. I'm due for another blood test, MRI, etc., but I feel the best I've felt in years. And now for a celebration joint of the finest Kush...”


I know some of you will attack Adam Dreamhealer but Chong doesn't attribute it to any holistic crap but to hash oil and a special diet.

He mentioned in 2012 that he got prostate cancer, probably since he hadn't been smoking marijuana in 3 years.

I will mention though that he was diagnosed with Stage 1 cancer, so he caught it early.

[cali]

29. you don't seem to understand that this isn't what scientific evidence is.

[cali]

32. seriously ridiculous charge.

I'm pro-legalization of pot. I'm for taking apart the restrictions that prevent more research into marijuana and cancer and providing substantial funds to do so. I've said that repeatedly. I haven't denied the positive evidence.

How on earth is that position concurrent with your false and disgusting charges, bennyboy?

[kestrel91316]

39. Sure you are.

[cali]

42. truer than your bogus claims, friend.

[liberal_at_heart]

33. I would say it's also a little suspicious how pro-cannibis cancer cure you are.

I will wait for more scientific research coming out of Isreal to make up my mind if it is a cancer cure or not.

[SidDithers]

31. Bullshit...

any post, article or video claiming cannabis cures cancer is complete horseshit.

Cancer is not a single disease, but many hundreds of diseases. What is effective on certain types of cancer cannot be assumed to be effective against all types of cancer.

Sid

[gulliver]

34. Not sure about the production values of this video.

Seems like it might be a splice job. That first guy has no caption, is hiding a ponytail, and wearing an ill-fitting suit. The Low Carb Bible book on the shelf behind him is upside down. Then suddenly we are getting a Peter Coyote-esque voice-over with high dollar graphics.

One of the interviewees calls for what is needed to claim a cancer cure—in depth scientific studies. There have to be double-blind investigations and controls for things like the placebo effect. I don't see how that happens with marijuana though. What do you give someone that has all of the psychoactive effects of marijuana but isn't marijuana? If you want chocolate chip cookies all of a sudden and Genesis sounds like good music, you got the marijuana.

I don't think we need marijuana to cure cancer to justify making it legal. Its illegality is a social cancer of the first order.

[olddots]

40. Pot helps dealing with the pain of chemo and radiation .

helps with apatite and the cloudy feelings from pain meds . Does it cure cancer ? probably not but it sure helps more than alcohol which most of the repukian turd maggots are strung out on .

[wildbilln864]

45. here ya go:

Montana Dad Gives Cancer-Stricken Boy Marijuana Behind Doctor's Back

snip/
" Doctors said 2-year-old Cash Hyde would likely die after they found a stage 4 brain tumor surrounding his optic nerve just a year ago this week.

And he nearly did. After being subjected to seven different chemotherapy drugs, the little boy from Missoula, Montana suffered septic shock, a stroke and pulmonary hemorrhaging.

Cash was so sick he went 40 days without eating. His organs were threatening to shut down. His father, Mike Hyde, intervened, slipping cannabis oil into his son's feeding tube.

In Montana, medical marijuana is legal. Hyde had used it himself to treat his attention deficit disorder. When Cash was diagnosed in May 2010, Mike got him a marijuana card and purchased the drug from his own supplier.

Cash, now 3, made a miraculous recovery at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, but his father's bold action -- taken behind doctors' backs -- has raised serious questions about a parent's role in medical treatment. "

[liberal_at_heart]

46. medical marijuana likely aided in his recovery giving him an appetite allowing him the ability to

eat and get stronger, but since he was on chemo there is no way to know if it was the marijuana or the chemo or both that killed the cancer. that is why more research is needed.

[wildbilln864]

47. I agree more research is needed but

the cancer industry along with the drug companies along with the oil companies do not want that research to happen.

[liberal_at_heart]

50. That's why it's so exciting that Isreal is doing some serious research. It's a shame we can't

do it here, but at least somebody is doing it.

[wildbilln864]

52. well i hope they are and...

I hope it's not compromised by corporate money.

[Segami]

63. Project CBD | Cannabidiol Science | For Doctors | For Patients

Worth a listen:

Many physicians refrain from approving Cannabis use by patients because they learned nothing about Cannabis in medical school and cannot knowledgeably advise patients about dosage, side effects, mechanism of action, etc. This talk by UCSF oncologist/AIDS specialist Donald Abrams, M.D. to residents at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is an exceptionally clear overview of the medical Cannabis field. Rolando Tringale, MD, invited Dr. Abrams on behalf of the Family Medicine Residency Program. O'Shaughnessy's arranged for videographer Chad Rea to tape the event.

[wildbilln864]

66. thanks for posting! n/t

[wildbilln864]

48. And here.....

government study

snip/
"...Lewis lung adenocarcinoma growth was retarded by the oral administration of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC),"

[Zoeisright]

49. Oh bullshit.

Nothing cures cancer. There is no single substance ever proven to cure it. If weed did cure cancer, everyone who had cancer would try it and live.

[wildbilln864]

53. right.....

[Phlem]

58. Dude

I here ya. The black and white reasoning in this thread is gagging me.



-p

[cali]

61. so the claim the op is making gags you?

[Phlem]

68. alright that's it

you've been bogarting the weed since this thread started and your officially over the top.

Talking to you is like smoking a pound of industrial hemp in an hour.

by

-p

[cali]

86. yes, that was a great refutation. Not.

[Phlem]

87. ooh

ok, and this one knocked it out of the park.



-p

[Segami]

65. ...

[SammyWinstonJack]

89. ...

[Phlem]

69. Excellent post

Segami.

Let's keep talking about it, marijuana and it's benefits have been under lock and key for way to long. I'm looking forward to reading the research.



-p

[Phlem]

70. Here's more from cancer.gov

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4

All you armchair scientists have a read, if you want to know more, or you can sit in this thread and bitch.

-p

[Segami]

71. Thanks!

[Phlem]

75. NP

anything to spread and introduce actual science.

Great job and keep it going, I'll be around.

-p

[wildbilln864]

72. thank you phlem. n/t

[Phlem]

74. no worries

hope it helps.



-p

[Union Scribe]

81. I see a number of promising avenues

in there and I'm glad researchers are pursuing them. But nothing is approaching the c word (cure). It would be a lot easier to take pro-cannabis posters seriously if they simply relied on possibilities and studies instead of blanket announcements about curing cancer. (Edit: I'm talking about the reaction to the OP, not to your post(s).)

[Phlem]

82. Good

That is what science is, exploration.

Yes I know, the "C" word has been floated around for other ailments as well to no avail, the "C" word is a cautionary tale, but empirical evidence rules.

At least for me and people/institutes that represent themselves as the all knowing truth make me skeptical right away so I look for empirical evidence.

More study and accessibility should definitely be on the table.

Until then it's all opinion and what empirical evidence we have so far.

-p

[alarimer]

73. That's unscientific bullshit

It doesn't cure cancer. Nothing does. All it does is alleviate some of the symptoms associated with treatment.

[Phlem]

76. try the google.

-p

[wildbilln864]

78. thanks for your opinion. n/t

[Tx4obama]

83. Research is mentioned in the documentary below

''WEED'' by Dr Sanjay Gupta, FULL documentary below

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta cuts through the smoke and travels around the world to uncover the highs and lows of cannabis.

p.s. They discuss 'cancer research' - section starts after the 38:45 minute mark (main part at the 39:30 minute mark)

The whole documentary is awesome - I hope everyone watches the whole thing

[taught_me_patience]

84. If cannabis really cured cancer, Bob Marley would still be alive today

At most, weed might be useful as an adjunct therapy to help deal with side affects of chemo. At the least, it might serve as a placebo for some people. Others just want to get high before they die... can't really blame them.

[Phlem]

88. I wonder if

vaporizing instead of inhaling smoke might have helped.

-p