Cannabis has been at the center of one of the most exciting—and underreported—developments in modern science. Research on cannabis’s effects led directly to the discovery of a hitherto unknown biochemical communication system in the human body, the Endocannabinoid System, which plays a crucial role in regulating our physiology, mood, and everyday experience.
The discovery of receptors in the brain that respond pharmacologically to cannabis—and the subsequent identification of endogenous cannabinoid compounds in our own bodies that bind to these receptors—has significantly advanced our understanding of human biology, health, and disease.
It is an established scientific fact that cannabinoids and other components of cannabis can modulate many physiological systems in the human brain and body. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that trigger cannabinoid (and other) receptors. More than 100 cannabinoids have been identified in the cannabis plant. Of these cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have been studied most extensively. In addition to cannabinoids produced by the plant, there are endogenous cannabinoids (such as anandamide and 2AG) that occur naturally in the mammalian brain and body, as well as synthetic cannabinoids created by pharmaceutical researchers.
Extensive preclinical research—much of it sponsored by the U.S. government—indicates that CBD has potent anti-tumoral, antioxidant, anti-spasmodic, anti-psychotic, anti-convulsive, and neuroprotective properties. CBD directly activates serotonin receptors, causing an anti-depressant effect, as well.
In recent years, scientists associated with the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) have elucidated a number of molecular pathways through which CBD exerts a therapeutic impact. For example, a preclinical study by Dr. Sean McAllister and his colleagues at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco report on how CBD destroys breast cancer cells by down-regulating a gene called ID-1, which is implicated in several types of aggressive cancer. Silencing the ID-1 gene is, thus, is a potential strategy for cancer treatment. “Cannabidiol offers hope of a non-toxic therapy that could treat aggressive forms of cancer without any of the painful side effects of chemotherapy,” says McAllister.
To see the science behind CBD for other medical conditions just click on the Project CBD links below then click on the specific testing and results. Thousands of official tests have been conducted.
Acne, ADD and ADHD, Addiction, AIDS, ALS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anorexia, Antibiotic Resistance, Anxiety, Atherosclerosis, Arthritis, Asthma, Autism, Bipolar, Cancer, Colitis and Crohn’s, Depression, Diabetes, Endocrine Disorders, Epilepsy and Seizures, Fibromyalgia, Glaucoma, Heart Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Inflammation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Kidney Disease, Liver Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Migraine, Mood Disorders, Motion Sickness, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Nausea, Neurodegeneration, Neuropathic Pain, Obesity, OCD, Osteoporosis & Bone Health, Parkinson’s Disease, Prion/Mad Cow disease, PTSD, Rheumatism, Schizophrenia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Skin Conditions, Sleep Disorders, Spinal Cord Injury, Stress, Stroke and TBI
CBD and THC Synergy
According to McAllister’s lab, the best results were obtained when CBD was administered along with THC. Several studies underscore the therapeutic advantages for combining CBD and THC—particularly for treating peripheral neuropathy, a painful condition associated with cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), diabetes, arthritis, and other neurodegenerative ailments. Clinical research conducted by with GW Pharmaceuticals, a British company, has also shown that CBD is most effective as an analgesic when administered in combination with whole plant THC.
The medical evidence for the effectiveness of THC at treating cancer and also reducing pain is overwhelming. We have known this since 1974 when the first experiment documenting hemp’s anti-tumor effects took place at the Medical College of Virginia at the behest of the US government and the National Institute of Health (NIH). The study found that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice (lung and breast cancer, and a virus- induced leukemia). Unfortunately, rather than spreading the word about the amazing medicinal properties of hemp, the DEA quickly shut down the Virginia study and all further research on the anti-cancer effects of hemp.
On March 29, 2001, the San Antonio Current printed a story by Raymond Cushing titled, “Pot Shrinks Tumors – Government Knew in ‘74” which detailed the suppression of news about hemp’s cancer benefits, specifically relating to the 1974 Virginia study. Cushing noted in his article that it was hard to believe that the knowledge that cannabis can be used to fight cancer has been suppressed for almost thirty years and aptly concluded his article by saying: “Millions of people have died horrible deaths and in many cases, families exhausted their savings on dangerous, toxic and expensive drugs. Now we are just beginning to realize that while marijuana has never killed anyone, marijuana prohibition has killed millions.”
In 2000, researchers in Madrid learned that the THC in hemp inhibits the spread of brain cancer through selectively inducing programmed cell death (apoptosis) in brain tumor cells without negatively impacting surrounding healthy cells. They were able to destroy incurable brain tumors in rats by injecting them with THC. But sadly, most Americans don’t know anything about the Madrid discovery, since virtually no major US newspapers carried the story.
A 2007 Harvard Medical School study (published in Science Daily) showed that the hemp’s THC decreases lung cancer tumors by 50% and significantly reduces the ability of the cancer to metastasize (spread). “The beauty of this study is that we are showing that a substance of abuse, if used prudently, may offer a new road to therapy against lung cancer,” said Anju Preet, Ph.D., a Harvard researcher.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm
A recent study out of Thailand demonstrated that THC can also fight bile duct cancer, which is rare and deadly. As a matter of fact, the International Medical Verities Association is including hemp oil on its cancer protocol. Studies have also shown that hemp’s cannabinoids (both THC and CBD) inhibit the proliferation of cancers, including:
Breast cancer http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/66/13/6615.abstract
Colorectal cancer http://gut.bmj.com/content/54/12/1741.abstract
Prostate cancer http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/65/5/1635.abstract
Stomach cancer http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/33/6/2541.full.pdf
Skin cancer http://www.jci.org/articles/view/16116
Leukemia http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16908594
Lymphoma http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.23584/abstract
Lung cancer http://www.nature.com/onc/journal/v27/n3/abs/1210641a.html
Uterine cancer http://americanmarijuana.org/Guzman-Cancer.pdf
Thyroid cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19047095
Pancreatic cancer http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/66/13/6748.abstract
Cervical cancer http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/100/1/59.abstract
Mouth cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20516734 Glioma
Brain Cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16899063
Biliary tract cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793
Other researchers have also shown that hemp’s cannabinoids are effective at treating Hodgkin’s disease and Kaposi’s Sarcoma. Hemp has also been proven to be effective in the treatment of alcohol abuse, ALS (“Lou Gehrig Disease”), arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, bipolar disorder, MRSA, depression, dystonia, epilepsy, hepatitis C, Parkinson’s disease, psoriasis, sleep apnea, and anorexia nervosa.
In August of 2013, even CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent and neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, reversed his position on hemp’s health benefits and even apologized for his previous stand against it. “We have been terribly and systematically misled for nearly 70 years in the United States, and I apologize for my own role in that.”