Check out these 5 reasons to consider using cannabis as part of your cancer-fighting protocol. The cannabinoids in cannabis impact processes in the body that either inhibit cancer or enable its spread.
Cannabis and Cancer
1. Apoptosis: This is a protective mechanism in which rogue or diseased cells are destroyed, including cancer cells. The cannabinoids in cannabis accelerate apoptosis without harming normal cells. Cannabinoids have the ability to pass through the cellular membranes of malignant cells, instructing them to commit suicide.
2. Anti-Tumor: Cannabis inhibits the growth of tumors through a specific set of cannabinoid receptors, namely CB2 and GPR55. Research has demonstrated that giving the cannabinoid THC to mice with tumors initiated autophagy and reduced tumor growth. Autophagy is a cellular cleanup process whereby diseased or dysfunctional cells are eliminated or recycled.
3. Metastases: Metastases is a terrifying word because it means cancer has spread from its original location. Cannabinoids have anti-metastatic properties, meaning they can prevent cancer cells from spreading to other organs and tissues. Cannabis prevents metastasis by down-regulating the ID-1 gene, which enables cancer to spread.
4. Anti-proliferative: Compounds in cannabis prevent cancer cells from reproducing. THC has been found to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells in the breast, with CBD producing a down-regulation of Ki-67 – a cancer antigen found in dividing cells – resulting in a reduction of proliferation in tumor cells.
5. Angiogenesis: Chemical signaling within tumors stimulate growth via the formation of new blood vessels. This process is called angiogenesis. Cannabis prevents angiogenesis from occurring, stopping tumor growth by cutting off the supply of blood and oxygen. The cannabinoids THC and CBD are both anti-angiogenic, although their mechanisms vary.
Key Points
Cannabis is remarkable in that it can inhibit cancer by either destroying malignant cells, slowing tumor growth via cannabinoid receptors, preventing cancer cells from spreading and proliferating due to its impact on cancer antigens and genes, and by cutting off oxygen and blood supply that enable tumors to grow.
Have you considered using cannabis for cancer or another chronic disease? Let me know in the comments.
References:
(1) Medical News Today: Cannabis reduces tumor growth in study
(2) British Pharmacological Society Journals: Targeting multiple cannabinoid anti‐tumour pathways with a resorcinol derivative leads to inhibition of advanced stages of breast cancer
(3) ResearchGate:The heterogeneity and complexity of Cannabis extracts as antitumor agents
(4) US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Effects of Tetrahydrocurcumin on Tumor Growth and Cellular Signaling in Cervical Cancer Xenografts in Nude Mice
(5) US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Cannabidiol (CBD) as a Promising Anti-Cancer Drug
Disclaimer: This article is strictly for informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. Please be diligent and always do your own research in regard to any material I present on this site. I claim no responsibility for any distress, whether it be physical or emotional, that may occur as a result of the information you obtain from my blog.