Don’t believe the hype: Cannabis is not dangerous (far from it – especially in relation to licensed pharmaceuticals), and it is not a gateway drug. Furthermore, the discovery of our endocannabinoid system (1992), is scientific proof that cannabis is medicine – and the reason why cannabis is able to treat numerous diseases and heath conditions is because of this system. Unfortunately, this discovery was not reported via any media channel, and even today, some 30 years later, many people are still unaware of its existence and the very significant role it plays in our health.
The following studies, which were all published in peer-reviewed, medical journals, are just a few examples of what scientific reports say about the potential ability of cannabis to treat one of the world’s biggest killers: Cancer.
These studies, which ALL claim that cannabis kills cancer in pre-clinical studies, range from 1974-2022.
Despite this, no randomised clinical trials have taken place.. and there are no plans to do so anytime soon. Why not?
Prof. Mechoulam, Cannabis & Cancer (2017)
Dr. Christina Sanchez
Cannabis and Breast Cancer (2109)
Clearing the Smoke: Cannabis & Brain Tumours (Dr. Lynda Balneaves)
Brain Tumour National Conference, Canada (2017)
Cannabis Kills Cancerous Tumours and Cells
- 1974: Bench study reporting how THC effectively shrunk cancer tumours in mice with Lewis lung cancer.
- 1977: The effects of cannabis (THC) on leukaemia.
- 2000: The anti-tumour effects of THC.
- 2000: THCÂ destroys cancer.
- 2000: The potential of cannabis (THC)in treating brain cancers.
- 2001: Inhibits tumour growth (THC).
- 2001: Cannabis destroys cancer tumours and cells.
- 2003: Cannabinoid receptor systems: therapeutic targets for tumour intervention.
- 2004: Cannabis kills glioma cells selectively and protects non-transformed glial cells from death.
- 2005: Cannabis attacks and reduces tumours in human glioma (brain cancer) via the endocannabinoid system and its receptors.
- 2005: Cannabis has the capacity to shrink tumours and destroy cancerous cells.
- 2005: THC causes leukaemia cells to self-destruct.
- 2006: The role of cannabis in causing cancerous cells to commit suicide.
- 2006: This study “describes the signalling pathway that mediates cannabinoid-induced apoptosis of tumour cells.’
- 2006: Cannabis effectively treats pancreatic cancer.
- 2006: The role of CB receptors in treating brain cancers.
- 2007: The effectiveness of cannabis in treating brain cancer.
- 2007: According to the researchers: “The good safety profile of THC, together with its possible growth-inhibiting action on tumour cells, justifies the setting up of future trials aimed at evaluating the potential antitumoral activity of cannabinoids.’
- 2007: The researchers state: Endocannabinoids are now emerging as suppressors of angiogenesis and tumour spreading since they have been reported to inhibit angiogenesis, cell migration and metastasis in different types of cancer, pointing to a potential role of the endocannabinoid system as a target for therapeutic approach of such malignant diseases.’
- 2008: How THC-rich cannabis extracts/oils successfully treat cancer.
- 2008: THC effectively attacks various ‘human glioma cell lines [..] and primary tumour cells obtained from a glioblastoma multiforme patient.’
- 2009: Cannabis inhibits tumour growth through creating an environment in which cancer is unable to grow and spread.
- 2010: Cannabis causes cancerous cells to commit suicide (apoptosis) without damaging healthy cells.
- 2010: How cannabis reduces tumour growth in brain cancers.
- 2012: Cannabis kills cancerous tumours and cells in breast cancers.
- 2013: The anti-tumour effects of cannabis.
- 2014: Using cannabinoids to treat cancer.
- 2015: Cannabis kills cancerous cells.
- 2019: Treating skin cancer with cannabis.
- 2022: Cannabis as an anti-tumour agent.
Pre-Clinical Work in Individual Cancers
Brain Cancers
From 1986-2022, approximately 250 pre-clinical studies investigating cannabis as a potential treatment for brain cancer took place. They all reported the same or very similar results: cannabis reduced tumours and caused cancerous cells to self-destruct. These include:
31. 2000:Â Inhibition of glioma growth in vivo by selective activation of the CB2Â cannabinoid receptor. PubMed (nih.gov)
32. 2015: The anti-tumour action of cannabinoids on glioma tumorigenesis. PubMed (nih.gov)
33. 2021:Â Cannabigerol is a a Potential Therapeutic Agent in a Novel Combined Therapy for Glioblastoma. PubMed (nih.gov)
Breast Cancers
From 1981-2022, approximately 186 pre-clinical studies investigating cannabis as a potential treatment for breast cancer took place. They all reported the same or very similar results: cannabis reduced tumours and caused cancerous cells to self-destruct.
34. 1998: The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide inhibits human breast cancer cell proliferation – PubMed (nih.com)
35. 2010: Cannabinoids reduce ErbB2-driven beast cancer progression through Akt inhibition – PubMed (nih.gov).
36. 2021: The Molecular Targets of Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Cancer and Inflammation – PubMed (nih.gov)
Professor Mechoulam: International Cannabis Conference, Berlin 2019
Pancreatic, Uterine, and Testicular Cancers
37. 2020:Â Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Health Professional Version – National Cancer Institute. PubMed (nih.gov)
38. 2019:Â Cannabis-derived substances in cancer therapy – an emerging anti-inflammatory role for cannabinoids. PubMed (nih.gov).Â
39. 2019:Â Flavonoid Derivative Cannabis Demonstrates Therapeutic Potential in Preclinical Models of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
40. 2018: Potential Use of Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
41. 2022:Â Cannabis sativa Extract Induces Apoptosis in Human Pancreatic 3D Cancer Models. PubMed (nih.gov)
Lung Cancers
42. 2018Â Enhancing the Therapeutic Efficacy of Cancer Treatment With Cannabinoids – PubMed (nih.gov)
43. 2021: Cannabis: A Toxin-Producing Plant with Potential Therapeutic Uses. PubMed (nih.gov)
44. 2015: The Anti-Tumour Activity of Plant-Derived Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoids. PubMed (nih.gov)
45. 2022: Cannabidiol promotes apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells in vitro and vivo. PubMed (nih.gov)
46. 2014:Â Cannabinoids and Lung Cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
47. 2012:Â Inhibits Lung Cancer Cell Invasion and Metastasis. PubMed (nih.gov)Â
48. 2011:Â Cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, as novel targets for inhibition of non-small cell lung cancer growth and metastasis. PubMed (nih.gov)
Mouth/Throat Cancers
49. 2010:Â Cannabinoids inhibit cellular respiration of human oral cancer cells – PubMed (nih.gov)
50. 2009:Â Bogarting that joint might decrease oral HPV among cannabis users. PubMed (nih.gov)
6. Prostrate Cancer
52. 2012:Â The role of cannabis in prostrate cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
53. 2013:Â Non-THC cannabinoids inhibit prostate cancer. PubMed. (nih.gov)Â
54. 2005: Cannabinoid receptor as a novel for the treatment of prostate cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
55. 1999:Â Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
56. 2009:Â Inhibition of human tumour prostate cancer cells. PubMed (nih.gov)
57. 2021: Endocannabinoid System and Tumour Micro-environment: New Intertwined Connections for Anti-cancer Approaches. PubMed (nih.gov)
Blood Cancers (e.g. Leukaemia)
59. 2006:Â THC induces apoptosis in Jurkat Leukaemia. PubMed (nih.gov)
60. 2013: Cannabis extract treatment for terminal acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. PubMed (nih.gov)
61. 2022:Â Cannabis as an Anticancer Agent. PubMed (nih.gov)
62. 1993:Â Cannabinoid-receptor expression in human leukocytes. PubMed (nih.gov)
63. 1992. Examining life’s genomic code means re-examining society’s long-held codes. PubMed (nih.gov)
64. 2005:Â CB2 receptor-induced apoptosis of human leukaemia cells. PubMed (nih.gov)
65. 2003:Â Gamma-irradiation enhances apoptosis .. in leukaemia cells. PubMed (nih.gov)
Healing Cancer with Cannabis: The Rick Simpson Story
The first study showing that cannabis had the potential to treat cancer was published in 1974.
Cholangiocarcinoma Cancers
66. 2010:Â Dual effects of THC on Cholangiocarcinoma cells. PubMed (nih.gov)Â
67. 2010: Cannabinoids promote neural repair. PubMed (nih.gov)
68. 2020: Cannabinoids as a Promising Anti-Cancer Drug. PubMed (nih.gov)
Skin Cancers
69. 2003:Â Inhibition of skin tumour growth and angiogenesis in vivo by activation of cannabinoid receptors. PubMed (nih.gov)
70. 2019: Cannabinoids: Potential Role in Inflammatory and Neoplastic Skin Diseases. PubMed (nih.gov)
71. 2009:Â The endocannabinoid system of the skin in health and disease: novel perspectives and therapeutic opportunities. PubMed (nih.gov)
72. 2018: The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabinoids in Dermatology. PubMed (nih.gov)
73. 2020: Roles of Cannabinoids in Melanoma: Evidence from in Vivo Studies. PubMed (nih.gov)
74. 2020: Effects of Standardized Cannabis sativa extract and ionizing radiation in melanoma cells in vitro. PubMed (nih.gov)
75. 2018: The role of Cannabinoids in Treating Skin Cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
76. 2017: The role of cannabinoids in dermatology. PubMed (nih.gov)
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Liver Cancers
78. 2018: Cannabis use is associated with a reduced prevalence of progressive stages of alcoholic liver disease. PubMed (nih.gov)
79. 2021:Â Anti-cancer properties of cannabis in Hep3B liver cancer cells. PubMed (nih.gov)
80. 2020: Treating Liver Cancer – challenges and possible treatment approaches. PubMed (nih.gov)
81. 2020: Challenges in liver cancer and possible treatment approaches. PubMed (nih.gov)
The Actions/Outcomes of Cannabis on Different Cancers
82. 2003 Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis by cannabinoids. PubMed (nih.gov)
83. 2004 Cannabinoids inhibit the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway in gliomas. PubMed (nih.gov)
84. 2010: Cannabidiol enhances the inhibitory effects of THC on human glioblastoma cell proliferation and survival. PubMed (nih.gov)
85. 2008: Cannabinoids for cancer treatment: progress and promise. PubMed (nih.gov)Â
86. 2009: Cannabinoid receptor ligands as potential anticancer agents – high hopes for new therapies? PubMed (nih.gov)
87. 2002: Cannabinoids and cell fate. PubMed (nih.gov)Â
88. 2009: Cannabinoids in the treatment of cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
89. 2003: The endocannabinoid system as a target for the development of new drugs for cancer therapy. PubMed (nih.gov)
90. 2005: Cannabinoids and cancer. PubMed (nih.gov)
91. 2007: HU-331, a novel cannabinoid-based anticancer topoisomerase II inhibitor. PubMed (nih.gov)
92. 2020: The interplay between cancer biology and the endocannabinoid system – Significance for cancer risk, prognosis and response to treatment. PubMed (nih.gov)Â
So why is it banned?
The Actions/Outcomes of Cannabis on Different Cancers (cont.)
93. 2002: THC induced apoptosis in the thymus and spleen. PubMed (nih.gov)Â
94. 2010: Cannabinoid-induced apoptosis in immune cells as a pathway to immunosuppression. PubMed (nih.gov)Â
95. 2008: High concentration of cannabinoids activate apoptosis in human U373MG glioma cells. PubMed (nih.gov)
96. 2007: Cannabinoid receptor agonists .. induce cancer cell death. PubMed (nih.gov)
97. 2008: Antineoplastic and apoptotic effects of cannabinoids. PubMed (nih.gov)
98. 2010: The dual effects of THC.. anti-invasion activity at low concentration and apoptosis induction at high concentration. PubMed (nih.gov)
99. 2008: A comparative study on cannabidiol induced apoptosis in murine thymocytes and EL-4 thymoma cells. PubMed (nih.gov)
100. 2004: Causes brain cancer cells to self-destruct. PubMed (nih.gov)
101. 2009: Cannabinoid-induced apoptosis. PubMed (nih.gov)
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102. 1998: THC induces brain cancer cells to self-destruct. PubMed (nih.gov)
103. 2008: Cannabis stops the growth of brain cancer cells. PubMed (nih.gov)
104. 2002:Â Cannabinoids protect astrocytes from ceramide-induced apoptosis through the .. pathway. PubMed (nih.gov)
105. 2005: Effects of THC on cancer cell viability. PubMed (nih.gov)
106. 2001: Control of cancer cell survival/death decision by cannabinoids. PubMed (nih.gov)
107. 2005: Cannabinoids and ceramide: two lipids acting hand-by-hand. PubMed (nih.gov)
108. 2009: Cannabinoid action induces cancer cell death. PubMed (nih.gov)
109. 2007: Cannabinoids inhibit cancer growth. PubMed (nih.gov)
110. 2002: Cannabinoid-induced apoptosis. PubMed (nih.gov)Â