There are a lot of SF claims regarding medical marijuana and browsing through them all can sometimes feel like you’re swimming in a sea of lies.
But it looks like one of the claims that are usually taken with the highest suspicions ever is the one that cannabis can cure cancer. You’ll probably be surprised to find out that this is actually a valid claim.
Cannabis can reportedly cure cancer
Cannabinoids are the active ingredients in marijuana, and they include THC and one hundred other related substances that are all working in the body by stimulating a whole network of receptors.
It’s more like a series of networks. For instance, CB1 receptors are found all over the brain and nerve ends, and CB2 receptors are in the immune system.
It seems that, according to all the research, all kinds of health issues from mood disorders, nerve disease, autoimmune illnesses may be speculated to have potential cannabis treatment.
Cancer, on the other hand, manifests in uncontrollable and sometimes even fatal cell growth. And cannabinoids don’t play a role in cell growth.
And still, Dr. Manuel Guzmán, a biology professor at Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, has been pursuing the question of whether the brain’s cannabinoid receptors might defend against tumors. According to a series of studies Guzmán has co-authored, the answer might be “Yes.”
For 15 years he has been treating brain tumors in lab mice with a chemical cocktail prepared with THC and he has seen cancer growth halted in one-third of the subjects. Cancer growth was reversed altogether in the third group until tumors were eliminated.
The not so pleasant thing is that Guzmán bathed his subjects’ tumors with a cannabinoid solution that was delivered via a catheter stuck directly into the brain.
This means that there is no evidence that smoked marijuana targets brain tumors or can deliver medically effective dosages.
I have been blogging and posting articles for over eight years, but my passion for writing dates back in 2000. I am especially enthusiastic about technology, science, and health-related issues. When I’m not researching and writing the latest news, I’m either watching sci-fi and horror movies or checking out places worth visiting and building deep memories for later in life. I believe in empathy and continually improving myself.