More Evidence on Marijuana and Cancer
The evidence continues to mount that cannabinoids — the unique, active components in marijuana — fight cancer. The latest such study , just published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows that THC can kill glioma cells through a process known as autophagy. Gioma is a particularly deadly form of brain cancer that afflicts, among others, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
The good news is that this study got a decent amount of media attention. The bad news is that much of the coverage lacked context or presented information in a confusing or misleading way. Case in point: the April 1 story from the Reuters wire service.
Reuters reporter Michael Kahn presents the finding as if it were something brand new, failing to note the extensive evidence accumulated since the 1970s that cannabinoids fight various types of tumors. It reports that “studies have suggested” that marijuana may cause cancer, omitting the fact that the largest, most well-controlled studies have found precisely the opposite.
And finally, in a warning of possible risks of cannabinoid drugs, the article hopelessly jumbles cannabinoids — drugs like THC and its plant and synthetic cousins — with drugs designed to block the CB1 receptor through which these substances operate, mistakenly referring to these CB1-blocking drugs as cannabinoids. In fact, they’re more like anti-cannabinoids, and if anything the harmful effects of these CB1 blockers (increased rates of depression and anxiety, for example) reaffirm that cannabinoids often have good and helpful effects.
Tagged with: cancer and cannabinoids and science and THC by the author
30 comments
Ignorant, Bias Media! Too afraid to admit the facts of science because of political bias in our society. Still stuck on “Reefer Madness”!
it is hard for someone to understand somthing when their paycheck is tied to them not understanding it
o wow… im glad that they found this out so now we can show this off to our goverment nd all of em who says its bad for u… GOOD FIND=)
Its just wrong. There should be some kind of law against sending out misleading information. Seriously this pisses me off.
Amazing information, Bruce! Thanks for sharing as always.
It’s definitely sad that our government continues to ignore the very studies they themselves have conducted in the past in favor of demonizing a potentially life-saving plant.
Science showed us the truth long ago and they simply chose to ignore it. We’ve been damned by our actions ever since.
I knew it!
Pot IS for the healing of the nations. When will they see?
God bless weed ~ the miracle drug!
I think deep down,most of us have “known” this for years.
I will live forever.
Once again I feel people are missing the point,The inevitable legalization of mj is a freedom of choice issuse. I doesnt matter if its bad for you or not. This is the power of freedom and our government doesnt want us to feel we have the power to change laws we disagree with. Marijuana is also tied to our gun rights..You dont think so? What is happening at the mexican border is being used as a way to try and take our gun rights away! They dont want marijuana legal,it’ll take away their tools to fight our rights. People if your just in this for the personal or medicinal use of MJ that great,but please look at the bigger picture. We could end up like most of europe and Britian. NO guns to fight back with.
Bruce Mirken,
Again, good work presenting to the point information that’s not over whelming to readers. It doesn’t take much research to find out it takes an engineer or scientist to completely understand detailed data on why medicinal marijuana works well and is safe to use.
At age fifty myself, I’m getting to old to legislate marijuana reform for many years. I’m one of the poor souls who must move to another State or another Country to obtain MJ Medicines that could save my life in the future if I contract cancer.
Mr. Mirken I still strongly believe that the BIG news will come from patients with success stories using medical marijuana products like hemp oil extracted from the marijuana plant itself and not the seeds, that supplies a rich amount of life saving cannabinoidol properties. If more people understand their cure for cancer is obtainable, who in their right mind would deny them the life saving medicine? That’s right, politicians! I have my own name for politicians who are opponents. I refer to opponents as war criminals and history will not treat them with any amount of respect after legalization is completely finalized.
All The Best,
Mr. Ricky D. Seymour
Cookeville, TN
I sent this to the Kennedy’s months ago. I hope they investigated it.
glioblastoma is the most aggressive and common form of brain cancer. very sad. i hope this information gets past the propaganda machine of the mass media. i would like to see some studies on alzheimer’s diseasee and dementia related to marijuana. i have a feeling this will also yeild some very favorable results to marijuana’s medicinal uses.
great job mpp
Thanks for the information Bruce! It is good to see more of this coming into public awareness. Perhaps there will be a tremendous public outcry for The Cure once enough of us share this good news, as statistics show that 50% of us will end up wit some form of cancer in our lifetimes.
Rick Simpson has been curing people with cancers and various ailments with Marijuana for quite some time now. Visit his web site:
http://www.PhoenixTears.ca
http://www.PhoenixTearsMovie.com
Spread the good news!
Johnny D
Hey Bruce, where is the update on Jim Webb (D-VA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) along with 15 others who have introduced: Senate Bill 714 National criminal justice commission act 2009 is in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee right now. Everyone here needs to know. Norml knows and I have sent my politicians a letter. An obama supporter for marijuana law reform let me know. I feel this is important and have acted.
If this research continues and shows the health benefits
obtainable from marijuana are we able to go back and prosecute
people like John Walters, members of the FDA and other political hacks for suppressing information and research. I feel
these people are responsible for so much pain and suffering because of a political agenda and should be held accountable.
It’s obvious that the benefits from using marijuana in any form and for any reason is being ignored, no matter what you say or do, it’s the government who is HOOKED on money generated by the drug war, not to mention countless private industries. Stopping the cycle of government & other industries being hooked on profits from marijuana being illegal is a financial issue. Where do we go from here?
My father died from cancer, he told me once he used to smoke pot when he was young………
and he died believing that marijuana was just bad for him and everyone and thats why he stopped smoking…
i wonder……..if this information was here before…and it could have been here before…..maybe he would be here…..
ill smoke one for you, dad…..
@R.O.E.: Yeah I agree, the most important reasons for marijuana legalization have nothing to do with how good or bad it is for you. It’s predominantly an issue of constitutional freedoms.
That said though, any research like this does serve to point out the lies and misinformation on the subject. In that sense, it is still a positive thing for the movement as a whole.
I 110% agree with R.O.E. its my choice what intoxicant I want to use, if I choose to use an intoxicant. I mean Ron Paul practically admitted that most of congress are alcoholics on his interview on larry king, they can choose to poison themselves with booze, why can’t I “pick my poison?” Even though there is loads and loads of evidence that cannabis is not poison, but an incredible medicine!
Why would you have to smoke pot? couldn’t they just extract the main ingredients that work on killing the cancer?
Either way if they decide to use cannibus as a treatment for cancer, the cost of it would skyrocket.
It’s perfectly consistent, with so many lies it has been telling about the harm it supposedly causes, that the gov’t would attempt to hide anything positive about marijuana. I will be a permanent embarrassment (to the government, prohibitionists, drug warriors, etc.) when the public finally comes to understand that MJ not only is one of the most harmless psychoactive substances known to man, but just happens to also provide beneficial treatments for many human diseases. This stupid war on drugs is more than the sum of its parts when it comes to damaging our society. The so-called War has done most of the damage, including thousands of deaths, extreme violence and the destruction of thousands of lives; the principal drug it targets is practically harmless, with many benefits. The harm done by the War is easy to quantify, that done by drugs (excepting powerfully addictive ones) is so minor it’s difficult to find a single example. It would be such a joke, if it were funny!
Thank you Bruce again! May I suggest that there are many medicines derived solely from plants -seeds and oils that have shown to have much benefit in fighting Cancers? My mother was given 6 months to live from 4th stage Kidney Cancer that spread to her lung about 10 years ago. What a quack! There is no real expiration date stamped on your butt. My point is, she started taking Homeopathic Mannatech, some powder my sis found out about…and the doctors called it a “modern day Miracle” that her lump diminished in size and now there is no trace of Cancer in her body. So why isn’t it advertised like crazy??? Because too many people are making money off of the fact that Cancer exists. We had perfectly viable electric cars for over 20 years now. Why none now? – Because GM decided to only lease them to the public – you could not buy one and they took them all back and crushed and shredded every one but 1 left in a museum. Too many people would have lost their petroleum run transportation jobs.
I have found info that I know some of you can use. I read a story about a patient who was denied Medical MJ by his Doctor-it was the very next thing said after he was told he was dying from MS!!! “Don’t even think about it” the Doctor said! The poor guy got some life changing and threatening news and THAT’S WHAT HE HEARS??? He was sick and scared and didn’t know what to do. Because I have MS too I say – To Hell with those uncompassionate doctors (especially Neurologists). They act so “High and Mighty” – “LIVE WITH IT” my butt! The second sentence after “Sir, You are dying from MS” then -Don’t even think about a MJ card!??? HOW COLD!!! I really felt for this guy because I MOVED to CO just for that purpose and NO Doctor I could find would help and I had no idea of this organization! It was an embarrassing nerve wracking costly nightmare. I just got this info from a guy my son knows who’s already legal in Cali. He gave me this –
http://www.THC-foundation.com in MI CALL Them anytime -248-351-1746 they are only – as far as I know, seeing people in Southfield, MI Monday 4/6 until Wednesday 4/8 – You can Google directions to the Building. They operate in every state that has Medical MJ Laws on the books and have some traveling registration thing going so check their itinerary for your MED MJ APPROVED STATE. Good luck to all.
Thank you Eric L Carter. I’m a believer in that we should start our own ” homeland security’ and network very closely-with all the organizations and with each other.
I went to NORML and sent a letter. I read the bottom and the Senators that represent my state (in a previous reply to a similar letter) are against “DRUGS” and think that Heroin is just like Marijuana. Because they read it in a book one day. They certainly are not representing me, a suffering person. So all we can do is flood them with info.
The Powers that are in Washington do not think of what kind of legacy they will be leaving to America. They are more of the “I’ve got mine crowd.’ It is a shame that they do not remember that War Criminals have no judge that they can buy when it comes to Heaven’s High Court!!!
I hope that I get a good seat when God Judges Them for Cruelty, Cowardice, Conspiracy, and all else they are Guilty of. History will call them the Heartless Bastards!!!!!
“The leaves of the Tree of Life were for the healing of the nations” Revelations 22:2. When a law causes more harm than that which it seeks to protect it is time to change the law. With upwards of 3 million marijuana “offenders” imprisoned at a cost of billions of dollars for prefering a far less toxic substance medicinally or recreationally than those the government chooses to offer we have reached and far surpassed this point. The result of current marijuana laws have been shattered families, siezed bank accounts, homes, vehicles and even children, lost jobs, incomes and tax bases, loss of reputations and an overcrowded prison system which is turning truly violent predators loose to cope with the problem when the true issue is one of the freedom to choose. We The People will continue to grow, harvest and use marijuana for medical and recreational purposes no matter what the government tells us to do. They are fighting an unwinnable war. In truth the government has already lost their stupid “war” they just haven’t realized it yet. It is a good thing for the jackbooted thugs we call law enforcement that the producers and consumers of this fantastic flower are of a basically non violent nature. Unfortunately for us this makes us a far more soft target. God forbid that “the law” would be forced to go after truly dangerous criminals.
That publication isn’t exactly a higher tier publication, and should be taken with a grain of salt. We need some studies published in Cancer Research, PNAS, New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Science, Cell… etc. These others are where scientists go to get their research published when they have been denied to these upper tier journals.
america disgusts me sometimes. government propaganda is all too real. see the truth america!!
I think the reality is that the government and the people running it do not want to be healthy or free.
The issue at hand is the rights of Americans not legalization of marijuana. If we want more of our liberties and freedoms returned back to us then we need to start voting accordingly and holding those that we do vote into office accountable for their actions. We have given more than enough encouragement by accepting hand outs (welfare, medicaid, social security) that they now feel that Americans are utterly dependent upon them…show them otherwise. The revolution will come in the form of Personal Responsibility.
“Gioma is a particularly deadly form of …”
Gioma? I think you missed an ‘L’ in there somewhere.
Bruce,you have hit the nail on the head. The goverment,WHO and the medical world have been aware of the benefit of “Mary J” for a very long time now. The biggest problem is that they cannot bring themselves to acknowledge it because use of “Mary J” is stigmatised just like the bad old days of “Moonshine”. The sensible and pro-active governments are decriminalising it. I think with time,they will all come into the fold and realise that nature has put it there for a purpose.
Good work Bruce,keep it up.
Leave a Comment