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Two Marijuana Cancer Studies You Probably Never Heard About
By Tony Isaacs on 02/13/2011
In February 2000 researchers in Madrid announced they had destroyed incurable brain tumors in rats by injecting them with THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. The study was later published in the journal Nature Cancer Review.
Chances are that you have never heard of this study, the same as you likely never heard of a previous similar study because there has been a virtual news blackout as well as a concerted government effort to suppress such stories and studies for over thirty years.
The study by Manuel Guzman of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibited tumor growth in laboratory animals by modulating key cell-signaling pathways and thus causing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells. The study also found that cannabinoids inhibited angiogenesis and that cannabinoids were usually well tolerated and did not produce the generalized toxic effects of conventional chemotherapies.
According to neurologist Dr. Ethan Russo, the Guzman study was very important because cancer cells become immortalized and fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth and die on cue. In addition, the other ways that tumors grow is by sending out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well.
Normally, any story that even suggests the possibility of a new treatment for cancer is greeted with headlines about a "cancer cure" - however remote or improbable it might be. However, if marijuana is involved, don't expect any coverage from mainstream media.
News coverage of the Madrid discovery has been virtually nonexistent in this country. The news broke quietly on Feb. 29, 2000 with a story that ran once on the UPI wire about the Nature Medicine article. The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times all ignored the story, even though its newsworthiness would seem indisputable: a benign substance occurring in nature destroys deadly brain tumors.
The previous study which indicated that marijuana could be effective against cancer was conducted in 1974. In that study, researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institutes of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice - lung and breast cancer, and virus-induced leukemia.
The DEA quickly shut down the Virginia study and all further cannabis/tumor research, according to Jack Herer, who reported on the events in his book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes". In 1976, President Gerald Ford ended all public research on cannabis and granted exclusive research rights to major pharmaceutical companies, who unsuccessfully attempted to develop synthetic forms of THC that would deliver the medical benefits without the "high."
In 1983, the Reagan/Bush Administration attempted to persuade American universities and researchers to destroy all 1966-76 cannabis research work, including compendiums in libraries, reported Herer. He stated, "We know that large amounts of information have since disappeared."
On March 29, 2001, the San Antonio Current printed a story by Raymond Cushing titled, "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74" which detailed government and media suppression of news about marijuana cancer benefits. 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."
References:
“New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells,” Americans for Safe Access, November 10th, 2003, safeaccessnow.org
“Pot Shrinks Tumors - Government Knew in '74,” Raymond Cushing,Source: San Antonio Current, drugpolicycentral.com
“Cannabinoids: potential anticancer agents,” Nat Rev Cancer. 2003 Oct;3(10):745-55.
Printer-friendly versionAbout the author
Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Life website for those who wish to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year. He is also a contributing author for the worldwide advocacy group S.A N.E.Vax. Inc which endeavors to uncover the truth about HPV vaccine dangers.
Mr. Isaacs is currently residing in scenic East Texas and frequently commutes to the even more scenic Texas hill country near Austin and San Antonio to give lectures and health seminars. He also hosts the CureZone Ask Tony Isaacs - featuring Luella May forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group Oleander Soup and he serves as a consultant to the Utopia Silver Supplement Company.
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Comments
Tony d
Isn't it possible that, since MJ kills brain cells, it kills brain tumors? This is a great discovery since it can save lives. But let's not let it be a reason to legalize this potentially dangerous substance.
Anonymous
Look into hemp oil.
SumaJean
Let's Wake up to the Fact, that besides eating right, exercising, and a Healthy Life Style is not the whole picture, when all of us are under the gun, with poisons, toxic environments, and the our food chain, not the best,besides all the stress we have ongoing!!People are sicker and sicker, everyone you know if not yourself has come down with some type of Auto-Immune disease--Wonder Why!!Look around you!
Unfortunely, this eating, drinking, smoking, and doing what we want when the mood hits, is a determent to anyones health! Being destined for disaster, which could mean long term Health concerns! A lot of modulaties here, for long term health, and a consistent regime of not just Nutritionals, but
Chinese, Ayurvedic, Rainforest and American Indian Herbals.
Suma G Nathan
Certified Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Certified Chinese Herbologist
Holistic Health Journalist 30 yrs professionally
Boomer12k
Interesting article, depending on your point of view. I would hardly call THC or Marijuana "a benign substance".
Here is an interesting article on health implications of Marijuana, and even Medical Dangers in its use.....
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/e...
Do a search for dangers of Marijuana.
Not everything "NATURAL" is good for you!!! The article does not explain how the THC was introduced. I. V. or eaten, or smoked, etc... and that might make a difference.
Be well and happy.
Steve
Anonymous
The artical said they injected the rats with THC. And it might make a differance. There is also some late studies done on the efect of Marijuana on brest cancer in mice that were bred to have the axact same cancer as humans get. they were very succsesfull also.
Zach
Wow, this was incredibly interesting! I had never heard any of this before, it really is intriguing. It's a shame that some people feel the need to cover up the truth because its "unconventional"
Anonymous
There are countless studies of natural treatments and remedies that are suppressed by the government and pharmacuetical companies. Anyone niave enough to believe that the government is not 'in bed' with Big Pharma will also believe that government has your best interests in mind at all times. Your representatives in Congress and the Senate get their money from donations from Big Business, and Drug Companies are the biggest business of all. Just turn on your TV or pick up a paper, they are filled with ads from lawyers suing the drug companies for pushing bad drugs (I refuse to call it medicine) literally down our throats. All with the blessing of the FDA who relies on studies and information provided by the same drug lords who produce the stuff. Now I have no love for lawyers either, but it seems almost conspiracy like that Congress gets a 'donation', Pharma gets to peddle bad drugs, and Lawyers (most of Congress are Lawyers) get to sue. And all the American Public gets to do is die while making all 3 of them rich. Can't wait for the Governments Healthcare Bill to kick in!! Then we can make this list the BIG 4.
Lori
Hey Steve - I read the info you posted out of curiosity. I suspect with many studies, THC is in some kind of concentrated form, not just smoked as it comes out of the ground. I've known many AIDS patients who have used the concentrated form prescribed by a doctor for appetite (not the medical mj available now) and most got really sick (and some it caused compulsive eating problems). I also know plenty of folks who have smoked recreationally for years, and NONE of those have any chronic health problems. It's interesting that there are cannabinoid receptors throughout the body. And anonymous 3 is right. Lots of natural cures nobody will ever know about (baking soda can kill a tumor too!) because our system is for profit. If we actually found a cure for cancer, the system and our entire economy would go bankrupt. What good is a well person when we can't profit from them??
Alice Wessendorf
I'm going to go slightly off topic for a sec here just to take a moment to say thank you Lori for all your insightful comments and for sharing your knowledge with us. You add so much to the discussions here I just wanted to be sure you know how much your input is appreciated!
Oh, and if you ever find the time and of course the inclination we'd love to have you as a contributing author. All you have to do is set up a profile and upload your articles.
Thanks again for being such a helpful presence here on HealthierTalk.com!
D. Gold
Tony D.
Cannabis does NOT kill brain cells, or any other kind of cells in the highest concentrations possible. Ten thousand times the theraputic dose (the amounted to get high) causes no cellular damage whatsoever anywhere in the body. The ignorant myth that pot kills brain cells is a holdover from Nixon bullshit. Cannabis is the safest substance known to man when one measures the difference between the theraputic dose and the lethal dose. THERE IS NO LETHAL DOSE. Or even any size dose that does any damage whatsoever to the human organism.
Cannabis as chemo kills the malignant cells without hurting the healthy ones. Normal chemo, when "successful", kills the cancer just before it kills the patient.
The author is 100% right when he says that cannabis prohibition has killed millions of patients that could have been saved by cannabis medicine.
Do a google search on cannabis and cancer and within an hour any right-thinking person will see that cannabis has been proven time and time again to wipe out malignancies. And it has been proven time and time again to be 100% safe as a theraputic medicine ... even in amounts 1000 times the normal dose.
The facts are that cannabis kills cancer in vitro and it is the safest theraputicly active substance known to man. I would think that those two facts alone warrant about a million times the attention our govt. has given to researching the kind herb.
Lori
Thanks for the kind words Alice! I've done many presentations in my community and I love to share my knowledge and experiences. Once I'm done with the winter quarter of classes I teach at the end of March (and spring is here!!), I'd like to look at your suggestion of contributing articles. Thanks again! Lori
Anonymous
This may all be true, but my 60 year old , hippie ,pot smoking friend has suffered through 2 different bouts of cancer, the latest one is breast cancer. I guess smoking pot doesn't get it.
Hasn't cured her.
jesse
rofl! @ the link from boomer12k "uncontrollable aggressiveness" bahahahaha that was a good laugh man, thanks!
Emmanual Goldstein
The Federal Government officially insists that Cannabis has “no medical value” and schedules it accordingly under the Controlled Substance Act.
Yet the Federal Government is the owner of US Patent 6630507 “Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants” issued Oct 7 2003.
But they are also well aware of the cancer fighting properties of Cannabis/THC, as the article correctly points out.
google;
Granny Storm Crows list
Rick Simpson, Run from the cure.
Good post by D Gold...
Anonymous
Nice propaganda, Boomer12k.
Anonymous
I just became an raw organic hemp vegan. Lost 15 pounds in 10 weeks, tons of energy, and feel much better. I avoid all processed foods, products containing soy,msg,gmo,dairy. I eat hemp every meal and I love it. Hemp bread,hemp pasta,hemp ice cream. My girl and I make them all. If I could grow my own industrial hemp, I'd ever need to go to the store.
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