Montrose - Daily Press

 Research shows some cancers can be  treated with marijuana. Even with successful surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy treatment, gliomas — a highly aggressive form of brain cancer that strikes approximately 10,000 Americans annually — tragically claim the lives of 75 percent of its victims within two years and virtually all within five years.

But what if there was an alternative treatment for gliomas that could selectively target the cancer while leaving healthy cells intact? And what if federal bureaucrats were aware of this treatment, but deliberately withheld this information from the public?

Sadly, the questions posed above are not entirely hypothetical. Let me explain.

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In 2007, there were over 150 published preclinical and clinical studies assessing the therapeutic potential of marijuana and several of its active compounds, known as cannabinoids.  These numerous studies are in a book, now in its third edition, entitled Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Review of the Scientific Literature. (NORML Foundation, 2008) One chapter in this book, which summarized the findings of more than 30 separate trials and literature reviews, was dedicated to the use of cannabinoids as potential anti-cancer agents, particularly in the treatment of gliomas.

Not familiar with this scientific research? Your government is.

In fact, the first experiment documenting pot’s potent anti-cancer effects took place in 1974 at the Medical College of Virginia at the behest federal bureaucrats. The results of that study, reported in an Aug. 18, 1974, Washington Post newspaper feature, were that marijuana’s primary psychoactive component, THC, “slowed the growth of lung cancers, breast cancers and a virus-induced leukemia in laboratory mice, and prolonged their lives by as much as 36 percent.”

Despite these favorable preliminary findings (eventually published the following year in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute), U.S. government officials refused to authorize any follow-up research until conducting a similar — though secret — preclinical trial in the mid-1990s. That study, conducted by the U.S. National Toxicology Program to the tune of $2 million, concluded that mice and rats administered high doses of THC over long periods had greater protection against malignant tumors than untreated controls.

However, rather than publicize their findings, the U.S. government shelved the results, which only became public after a draft copy of its findings were leaked to the medical journal AIDS Treatment News, which in turn forwarded the story to the national media.

In the years since the completion of the National Toxicology trial, the U.S. government has yet to authorize a single additional study examining the drug’s potential anti-cancer properties. (Federal permission is necessary in order to conduct clinical research on marijuana because of its illegal status as a schedule I controlled substance.)

Fortunately, in the past 10 years scientists overseas have generously picked up where U.S. researchers so abruptly left off, reporting that cannabinoids can halt the spread of numerous cancer cells — including prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and brain cancer. (An excellent paper summarizing much of this research, “Cannabinoids for Cancer Treatment: Progress and Promise,” appears in the January 2008 edition of the journal Cancer Research.) A 2006 patient trial published in the British Journal of Cancer even reported that the intracranial administration of THC was associated with reduced tumor cell proliferation in humans with advanced glioblastoma.

Writing earlier this year in the scientific journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, Italian researchers reiterated, “(C)annabinoids have displayed a great potency in reducing glioma tumor growth. (They) appear to be selective antitumoral agents as they kill glioma cells without affecting the viability of nontransformed counterparts.” Not one mainstream media outlet reported their findings. Perhaps now they’ll pay better attention.

What possible advancements in the treatment of cancer may have been achieved over the past 34 years had U.S. government officials chosen to advance — rather than suppress — clinical research into the anti-cancer effects of cannabis? It’s a shame we have to speculate; it’s even more tragic that  thousands  must suffer while we do.

Comments

Sonya wrote on Mar 12, 2010 1:09 PM:

" Its true, a lot of research has been done. And even more news reports are hitting mainstream media's about the effects of THC on cancer.

The issue is, everyone is thinking "smoking THC" is the cure, when in fact it should be eaten or made into oil. Smoking it, is still not good for your lungs.

Now if we could only legalize the stuff again. Its a plant! Its as silly as banning any other plant. "




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Jeff Tucson wrote on Oct 17, 2009 3:27 AM:

" DID NOT BOB MARLEY, AN ADMITTED GANJA SMOKER, DIE OF CANCER? ANSWER: HE DID. IS HE THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE OR DID HE NOT RECEIVE THE THC IN THE RIGHT MANNER? INTERESTING POINT OF OBSERVATION TO MY WAY OF THINKIING. "




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scott wrote on Sep 28, 2009 2:04 PM:

" i don't get what the big deal is. if the u.s. govt would just legalize the stuff and tax it, we would eat away at this deficit in no time at all. instead we're spending resources investigating and putting people in jail for the stuff. i don't think "medical" mary jane is the solution. either legalize it, or don't. not only for certain situations. "




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JudyJ wrote on Sep 27, 2009 4:27 PM:

" To Why Be . . Jeez, go back, reread, and stop nit-picking. I didn't say I wanted those who DISAGREE with me to suffer! I do, however, want the sanctimonious judgmental jerks who don't care about any OTHER people to shut up. THEY want to infringe upon the rights of anyone who disagrees. Too, if I wanted to be hateful, I'd be way, way, more obvious than what you "believe." "




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Chickenman wrote on Sep 27, 2009 7:53 AM:

" ..Day before yesterday I had such horrible migrane I assure anyone of you would have gone directly to Hospital. Pain so severe could not even lie down along with nausea, dry heaves. My condidtion is chronic, mmj most times will control my pain and thankfully episodes as severe as this only happen a few times monthly. Compared to visit to hospitial, narcotics, Ill choose mmj...CM "




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WHY BE SO HATEFUL wrote on Sep 25, 2009 10:47 PM:

" Judy J, saying you want others to suffer just because they disagree with you is hateful, just hateful. BTW, I believe you should be able to use whatever you need to keep you out of pain, as long as you don't infringe on the rights of others, but I don't wish misery on those who disagree with me. "




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realistic wrote on Sep 25, 2009 8:25 PM:

" thanks for the info. Some people like to find fault in everyone else when they need to be looking at themselves. Keep up the good work chickenman. "




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concerned res wrote on Sep 25, 2009 6:02 PM:

" HA,
Your ingnorance is nauseating. Chickenman doesn't deserve the cruel things that you have to say about him. If you open your eyes and ears you just might learn something. "




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Nathan wrote on Sep 25, 2009 10:27 AM:

" my cousin passed away from leukemia up in Naturita and during his time having to go through chemo the only thing that enabled him to eat was smoking marijuana.

If it was not for that fact, he would have wasted away a lot quicker then he did. "




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JudyJ wrote on Sep 24, 2009 7:52 PM:

" Well, Chickenman, I'm really not sure about you specifically, but I agree that marijuana has been proven to have positive effects regarding cancer. People who find themselves so afflicted deserve whatever it takes to make them feel better. Those of us who choose to be judgmental should find ourseves needing the pain relief that marijuana provides -- and have it denied. "




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HA wrote on Sep 24, 2009 3:04 PM:

" Seriously,

I'm not sure whom you are directing your troll comment to. However, I would agree that Chickenman is just that. His endless postings on legalizing MJ and how the government is out to get everyone through vaccines is just annoying. I always thought MJ was supposed to mellow a person out. Obviously, that's not the case! "




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Seriously wrote on Sep 23, 2009 7:24 PM:

" You need to stop being such troll!
Try actual conversation. "




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HA wrote on Sep 23, 2009 11:02 AM:

" None of Chickenman's posts are original. Pot-heads can't focus long enough to write a coherent sentence (beyond song lyrics that is). "




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templedragon wrote on Sep 22, 2009 11:20 AM:

" Check out Rick Simpson, "Run From the Cure" "




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Sounds like wrote on Sep 22, 2009 11:10 AM:

" Is this plagerism? I know from reading Chickenmans other posts that he could not have written this. Please give credit where credit is due Chickenman! "




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