Study finds cannabis has 'deadly' effect on melanoma

[canetoad]

The treatment may still be years away, but a new study offers a glint of hope to those diagnosed with one of Australia's worst cancers.

Researchers from Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have discovered a cannabis extract has a "deadly" effect on melanoma cells in a laboratory setting.

Biotechnologist and co-author of the study Nazim Nassar said the in-vitro anti-cancer effects of a specific extract from Cannabis sativa — called PHEC-66 — forced melanoma cells into a "programmed cell death" known as apoptosis.

"We know today how this extract attaches to the receptor on the cell surface, and changes the messages to the inside of the cell to manipulate the normal growth … to force it to go into [a] death progress," he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-04/new-study-finds-cannabis-has-deadly-effect-on-melanomas/103498308

This is a snip from about halfway down the article. It begins with a harrowing story and pictures of a man who has had extensive surgery for melanoma.

[2naSalit]

1. Wow...

That's interesting. There are many medicinal properties identified in the plant.

I hope it can be produced any applied widely.

[SergeStorms]

2. Medicinal properties in many plants.

Pharmaceutical companies don't get rich(er) from plant extracts, though. They get rich(er) from tedious, expensive research, testing, then more tedious, expensive research, more testing, and then marketing the plant extracts they knew were the cure from the beginning.

Then, when republicans gain control of Congress, they do away with all regulations and the pharmaceutical companies raise the price tenfold and give themselves billions in bonuses.

That's capitalism: the American way!

This is not

[2naSalit]

3. Indeed.

I make a few remedies of my own and have used plant medicine since I was in my teens.

[canetoad]

4. As I write

I have plant medicine growing nicely in the backyard.

[2naSalit]

7. I'm too far into...

The summer only growing zone. I have tried to keep herbs going over the winter but they always die by February. My houseplants are out of control, though.

[SergeStorms]

5. I had an aunt....

who was a Wiccan. She took a lot of crap from most family members, but we always got along famously.
She'd offer me natural remedies and, although they didn't all work, many did, and didn't have the nasty side effects of pharmaceuticals.
She died 20+ years ago and I still miss her, her advice, and her natural remedies.

[2naSalit]

9. That's how...

The knowledge is passed down through the generations. I had a mentor for about 30 years and I learned a great deal from her and still miss her. I have so many things in my kitchen that came from her, she's still a part of my everyday life. And I make a few salves for personal use and to share with a couple friends. I use teas and food for a lot of my health practices, seems to keep me from a lot of suffering.

[shrike3]

8. Plants are an important part of cancer research.

My brother the oncologist said years ago he believes it will be proven that cannabis has cancer-fighting qualities. Meanwhile, he has no problems with his patients smoking/vaping/consuming it.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/scientists-manipulate-common-plants-produce-cancer-drugs-180956666/#:~:text=Many%20commonly%20used%20medicines%20are%20still%20derived%20from,other%20opioid%20painkillers%20are%20derived%20from%20opium%20poppies.

[SergeStorms]

10. Many cancer patients....

would lose strength or waste away from lack of appetite. Marijuana was (is) great for increasing appetite. It's also great psychologically. It lifts people's spirits and gives them a different perspective on their situation.
Don't even get me started on psilocybin, peyote, LSD etc. for treating psychiatric illnesses.
The plant world offers us so much, and we've only scratched the surface of their benefits.

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

14. NOPE, WRONG!! Indica cultivars of Cannabis STOPS cancer right in it's tracks...

Now, smoking it doesn't do jacksh!t to cancer but it does help with the cachexia one suffers as a course of the disease. HOWEVER, I KNOW that cannabis saves lives by restoring apoptosis to cancerous cells. In order to do this, one needs to INGEST FECO or Full Extract Cannabis Oil. How do I know, you ask? Why, I'll tell you...I KNOW because I was diagnosed over 13 years ago with stage 4B metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma & was deemed TERMINAL , placed in home HOSPICE, (I didn't even know I was in Hospice for 5 years, lol) & given 3 rounds of palliative chemo., (ONLY a 30% dosage, BTW).
I put together a a treatment program using Oleander, Turmeric, low dose Naltrexone, (I ordered it from an trustworthy overseas pharmacy), Cesium, Vanadium, Germanium, (all these were in suspension), Chaga tea, pharmaceutical strength Medicinal Mushrooms, AHCC AND FECO. These were the major parts of my treatment but not all of it. I put together my treatment after reading White papers & speaking to researchers . According to my history AND my oncologists, I should not be alive, let alone cancer free.
Dear Serge, you are wrong that it does nothing to stop cancer. I know MANY others who used Cannabis oil to kill their cancer. BTW, FECO OR RSO to cure their cancers, everything from high grade Glioblastoma to Melanomas, to Pancreatic cancers, Liver Cancer, you name it. The trick is NOT to wait too late, to wait until the body is too debilitated or in a moribund condition.
Cannabis oil easily crosses to blood/brain barrier. Once the cancer is eliminated, one must go on a maintenance dose to make sure the cancer doesn't return but the patient doesn't have to take the daily gram , one takes as little as a 10th of a gram.

[shrike3]

20. My brother sees patients all the time who tried to cure their cancer with cannabis.

Or other "natural" means. Quite common for such patients to end up in an oncologist office. Glad you've had some success, though.

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

24. "SOME SUCCESS"? The problem with the VAST majority of people whose use of FECO/RSO is that

they don' know how to take it. one needs to work up to the point where they are taking a GRAM PER DAY for at least 90 days. More importantly, A cancer patient CANNOT wait until they are on death's doorstep & in a moribund state before they start Cannabis therapy because the ROS works with the Endocannabinoid system within the body to restore the body to health. Cannabis oil ABSOLUTELY wotk when either the patient themselves OR the cartaker learns HOW to use it.

As for your comment about me having "SOME SUCCESS",,, I woulld NOT call my CANCER FREE state and being alive after being diagnosed with STAGE 4B METASTATIC CERVICAL CANCER , "SOME SUCCESS", using your comment. So your brother is an Oncologist, huh? Funnily enough, the several oncologists at the teaching hospital near me, (UCDavis Med Centre), actually took notes while examining me and reading my charts. "SOME SUCCESS" ...hmm, how many people with my diagnosis are alive, kicking and still cancer free...13 years on?

[shrike3]

29. My brother is Johns Hopkins-trained.

If this is the miracle cure you say it is, he'll hear about it. In fact, if it's the miracle cure you say it is Big Pharma will be rushing to steal a chunk of the market for itself. Then we'll all hear about it.

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

34. Wait wut?! Are you being sardonic AND sarcastic? If, as you say, he is John Hopkin's trained....

Last edited Thu Mar 7, 2024, 03:14 AM - Edit history (1)

and are implying that you know so much about the difference between research & my clinicians taking notes with the idea of following my progress despite their initial prognosis, why would you believe that somehow, MAGICALLY, the pharmaceutical industry would have ANYTHING to buy & patent and/or, (hint, they can't because cannabis oil is something ANYONE can do-they'd have to create their own extract or engineer their own patented version), is 20 miles beyond me. Did I say ANYTHING about them beginning a study they planned to submit to the NIH, Science Direct, JAMA, Lancet, et al? Your comment makes no sense at all.

"If it's the MIRACLE 'I SAY', it is"? WTAF? I don't have to say anything. The fact that I'm still drawing breath is PROOF that it works. Did your John Hopkins trained brother know that before nixon had cannabis rescheduled by the DEA, Doctors and Researchers ALL over the country, took out full double page ads in all the major papers across the country across the nation, begging him NOT to do it, that people would needlessly die? It was well known by the cancer research community as early as the late 60's early 70's that cannabis worked to "kill" Cancerous cells. So, again I say, WTAF?

It worked for me and it's worked for hundreds of thousands across the planet that we know of. How many more are alive but have not posted because they have no access or dont care to put their business online? Chile, bye, just bye & have several seats.

[shrike3]

35. The Internet is full of miracle cures.

And if applications of natural substances and cannabis worked, it would indeed be a miracle.

And clinicians taking notes is not research. Research involves clinical trials, double-blinds, etc. You don't know a g-d thing about medicine, obviously.

And you honestly expect me to believe that people have a cure for cancer, but the general public doesn't know because "they don't care to put their business online"? Snort! They'd be rich beyond belief. But they don't care "to put it on-line."

If what you say is true, congratulations. I have no way of knowing if anything you say is true because you're just some dude on the Internet. (It's always some dude on the Internet) I will tell you that if you start hawking this stuff here you'll get banned. It's against the rules.

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

36. Okay, NOW I'M A DUDE? Ignorant and not that it's your business but I have 2 X CHROMOSOMES

There are millions of people who DON'T WANT TO PUT THEIR FUCKING BUSINESS ONLINE... Clinicians take notes, ask questions, look at the test results, images, etc before they move forward to proposals for actual studies but you wouldn't know that, would you. sibling of the brother ho was trained by John's Hopkins. ?Tell me, what did you major in, IF you attended University? Me? MOLECULAR BIOLOGY.My Brother? Astrophysics and Theoretical Mathematics My cousin? A Vet who's Service Center Director at USDA-APHIS and there are MANY MANY MORE family members in hard science, 3 who are in IMMUNOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 1 whose area of research is cancers of the immune system, primarily Multiple myeloma, Lymphomas & certain rarer Leukaemias. Did I mention the nuclear Engineers, (2 of them), 4 Chemical engineers, etc etc.
So, don't embarrass yourself by making idiotic comments about things you CLEARLY have no info about, sibling of a John Hopkin's trained brother.
I repeat what I said, SEVERAL SEATS.

[shrike3]

38. LMAO

Darlin', you ever hear of the Cancer Moonshot? End of the Obama administration. Biden announced it after Beau died. Trump pulled the plug on the funding. Little Brother was involved in that. He sort of knows things. But I'm not interested in a p---sing contest. The more you scream, the less I believe you. The more you scream, the more foolish you look. People like you are all over the Internet. Nothing they say ever pans out. I'm not going to hold my breath in this instance, either. If it all this does pan out, I'll hear about it. And it won't be from the likes of you.

Remember not to peddle anything here. You'll get banned. Not that I'll care.

[SergeStorms]

21. Where did I say it does nothing to stop cancer?

I said nothing of the sort. At the very least it will help with some patients' appetite.
You have to admit, there are few who would do the research and devise a cocktail of herbs, vitamins, minerals, plants etc. like you've done. The vast majority trust pharmaceutical companies and their synthesized poisons.

No, we're on the same page when it comes to the healing properties of marijuana and nature's hallucinogens.

Congratulations on your self-treatment for your cancer. You've done what very few would even attempt. I'm glad you're still with us.

[in2herbs]

27. 100% agree with you. Have used MJ successfully on a horse with

cancer. And, if I ever am dx'd with cancer this method will be my only treatment.

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

28. Yes, indeed!

[shrike3]

19. According to my brother, a lot of our medicine cabinet already comes from plants.

The research on "mushrooms" is interesting. I wish they were more widely used.

[shrike3]

43. Penicillin came from mold.

Some others:

Digitalis, a heart drug that originates from foxgloves12.
Aspirin, a painkiller derived from willow123.
Penicillin, the first antibiotic substance discovered by Alexander Fleming from the Penicillium mould123.
Quinine, used as a malaria and babesiosis medication3.
Opiates such as Oxycontin, Morphine, and Codeine3.
Myriocin3.
Paclitaxel (Taxol)3.
Vincristine & Vinblastine3.

Here's some interesting stuff from the NIH.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3456845/

I understand everybody's reluctance to trust Big Pharma. But "natural" isn't always better, and in fact alternative medicines are not regulated. They are classified as food and are not regulated by the FDA.

[StarryNite]

6. This could be huge.

[Joinfortmill]

11. Brave soul.

[THECHEF]

12. RSO if you don't know...

Look up Rick Simpson Oil sold here in CA in cannabis shops. Treats aches and pains too. Helps insomnia. My medicine.

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

15. WORD! I am a survivor of "TERMINAL" metastatic Carcinoma and am alive because of FECO

IT WORKS!!!!I posted my experience upthread.

[Goddessartist]

25. Welcome to DU! Me too!

I get it here in Washington!

My Z uses it for sleep.

[jfz9580m]

13. Saving this for a read

Last edited Wed Mar 6, 2024, 06:47 AM - Edit history (1)

There are a lot of articles on pubmed on the topic. I have not had the time to go through them and see which ones are legit and which ones are likely to be bs.

I have my own bias - I am pretty pro-weed in general. But I tend to be somewhat cautious with formally scientific takes on stuff as opposed to hunches one informally follows through on.

I am specifically interested in marijuana’s anti cancer properties. Mainly in any potential preventive effect it could have. Of course that sort of thing is very hard to make formal conclusions about.

I still it is the main reason I have my weed prescription. It helped me kick drink too-which at least has a roundabout anti-cancer effect. It seems increasingly as though alcohol is a carcinogen and really worse for you than I realized. A doctor who is a friend of my dad’s told me a month or so back that completely avoiding alcohol is probably the safest bet.

But fwiw I am following my hunch here and sticking with my weed prescription for now.

I come from a family with a lot of cancer on my mother’s side-something I only noticed after she fell ill. I certainly would have dialed down the booze had I known :-/.

Some of the studies that tend to portray marijuana in a very negative light have struck me as sloppy*. I have a pro weed bias obviously, but then I have no vested interest really beyond trying to assess its effect on my likelihood of getting cancer. So I do want to separate the good science from the sloppy stuff whether it is assessing marijuana’s positives or negatives.

I am saving this thread. These were some other studies I saw that looked interesting.

https://www.salk.edu/news-release/cannabinoids-remove-plaque-forming-alzheimers-proteins-from-brain-cells/

https://www.salk.edu/news-release/active-ingredient-in-cannabis-protects-aging-brain-cells/



*: One major issue I have with a some of the studies I have seen that show negative effects of marijuana is that they don’t bother to separate out the negative effects of the mode of consumption from the drug itself. I think it is fairly widely accepted that the process of smoking is harsh on the body. It is why I never smoked anything. I would like studies to separate out oral ingestion from smoking when assessing its impact on things like cancer.


Edit: This otoh does give me a pause. I don’t think it is a reason to conclude that pot should again be demonised. It is just that all good and bad effects should be considered honestly re: physical health. (My own experiences with really lousy stuff has made me dismissive of the Reefer Madness type shit about paranoia etc. I was never paranoid irl except for this one bizarro world space and I am not anymore either. Of course that is just anecdotal. I have no idea once it is teenagers etc. I have used it much later in life.)

But wrt physical health the one area I have seen that makes me cautious is related to heart health.

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.123.030178

Hopefully it is a dose-related effect.

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

16. Yes, jfz9580m, IT WORKS!! BUT you have to ingest it, NOT smoke it.

I posted my survival story upthread...AND it works for ALZHEIMER'S by removing the plaques in the brain. Cannabis eaily crosses the blood/brain barrier. AMA if you need more information.

[a kennedy]

18. Shut up....ALZHEIMER'S??? Really??

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

22. Yeah, it does....it also helps PARKINSON'S! Check these vids out & there are white papers as well as studies you

can find online to gain more information. OH YEAH, a GOOD qualit

CBD oil works too... HERE YA GO!

PARKINSON'S

LATE STAGE ALZHEIMER'S

Terminal BRAIN cancer

CANCER

ACTUAL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES PROVING RSO/FECO EFFICACY AGAINST CANCER

[Quakerfriend]

32. Thanks so much for posting all of this Ecumenist!

And, for sharing your incredible story!!

I too had advanced cancer (breast) & chose an ‘alternative’ treatment. I went to Mexico and did Gerson Therapy and was completely well in 5 weeks- that was almost 25 years ago.

[jfz9580m]

23. I am happy for you

[shrike3]

39. A clinical trial has found that THC in high concentrations shrinks some cancers.

Higher concentrations than what exists naturally in the plant. Of course, future cultivation of strains could change that.

Given I'm old I remember back when Interferon was going to be The Cure for cancer. It turned out to be a great drug, but not The Cure. I tend to be a little skeptical of claims for everything because it seems to be oversold at the beginning. I've no doubt it will eventually be proven that cannabis has some efficacy, but I doubt it'll put cancer in our rearview mirrors for good. Vaccines may well do that, but we'll see.

[jfz9580m]

46. I agree

I am myself always guarded re: excessive bullish enthusiasm about anything..especially anything I am favourably disposed towards. Nothing damages a cause as much as inaccurate claims.

It is why as an animal rights supporter I disapprove of arguments against meat that are flimsy though I am always sympathetic to the reasons animal rights supporters sometimes purvey them-our treatment of other species is a disgrace.

However, the ends do not justify the means because the truth will always out on a long enough timeline. Of course I don’t hear those much anymore. In my youth, I have heard some and considered them unhelpful.

Whether it is stuff I fervently back - such as a transition to a more plant based lifestyle (for reasons based in considerations relating to animal cruelty, ecological damage or damage to health) or the pluses of pot, it is important to be honest. Or you do more damage in the long run allowing vested interests to dismiss it all as bs or hype.

[malaise]

17. 😀😀Legalize it

[Goddessartist]

26. Thank you for this!

One of my brothers in law has melanoma. I'm sending this to my sister. I take RSO myself.

[shrike3]

40. Acquaintance of mine had immunotherapy for Stage 4 melanoma. He's cancer free.

There's been some amazing advances in treating this cancer. Don't give up hope.

[Hekate]

30. Speaking as a melanin-deficient person of Irish ancestry, this is very hopeful news indeed.

Hurray for science.

[efhmc]

31. So read that headline wrong. thought it meant using cannibis was bad for melanoma.

Happy I got that wrong.

[Emile]

33. K&R

[spanone]

37. My backward state of Tennessee will not allow medical marijuana.

House maga
Senate maga
Governor maga
Neanderthals

[shrike3]

41. Neither will mine.

I'm in between two states that legalized it, though.

Friend of a friend took it for severe arthritis, but it's becoming less effective. Higher doses do not help. Really a shame, she was able to get off opioids. Maybe it's like any other drug; the body builds a tolerance. She's contemplating her next move.

[spanone]

42. Sorry to hear that.

Opiods are horrific for you and addictive.

[shrike3]

44. I know. It was like a miracle for her, getting to throw away the opioids.

I'm hoping she'll be able to find a decent alternative soon.

I use cannabis gummies for sleep. They are not working as well as they used to, I imagine because I've been building a tolerance.