Marijuana Linked To Lower Bladder Cancer Risk, Study Says

Posted on May 30, 2013 by David

“People who smoke marijuana may be less likely to get bladder cancer than those who smoke cigarettes, a new study says.

Marijuana, however, remains classified as the most dangerous controlled substance, Schedule 1, alongside heroine and LSD…

“While there is a plethora of scientific evidence establishing marijuana’s safety and efficacy, the scientific clinical trials necessary to gain FDA approval have long been obstructed by the federal government itself…””

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/marijuana-bladder-cancer_n_3267486.html

“Association Between Cannabis Use and the Risk of Bladder Cancer: Results From the California Men’s Health Study.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25623697

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/bladder-cancer/

Evidence: Cannabinoid Therapy Reduces Breast Cancer Tumors

Posted on May 30, 2013 by David

“Warning: Many alternative treatments are shams with zero proof. Most alternatives make claims that are not backed up by any evidence or hard empirical medical studies, are are not peer-reviewed.

Peer review means your study and its claims will be vetted by a panel of the best doctors and other medical professionals in that field, for critical review. They will try to find fault in its methodology before publication and its recommendations for possible human treatment.

For any cannabis-based study strong enough to stand up to this critical review, and for it to be published in a major journal within such a field as cancer research, is incredible. That’s exactly how strong the evidence for cannabis medicine is starting to become.

Imagine that. This plant, this “great friend of humanity” which has helped us survive by giving early humans food, fuel, fiber and medicine, and who ancient healers wrote about in 6000 B.C., more than 8,000 years ago, is now coming back to prove itself and to help save us again.

And this time we are starting to find the evidence to back up the claims made for this plant over the centuries…”

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/02/evidence_cannabinoid_therapy_reduces_breast_cancer.php

Fighting Cancer: Another Study Reveals the Cannabis and Cancer Prevention Link

Posted on May 30, 2013 by David

“Does marijuana cause cancer? Revealing the link between cannabis and cancer yet again, researchers with the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco have released findings that further bolster cannabis as an anti-cancer solution.

The researchers have found a compound in the much-talked-about plant could “halt the spread” of many types of aggressive cancers, including breast cancer.

The Cannabis and Cancer Link

Cannabidiol is the compound, and while it fights cancer cells, it does not produce the high feelings commonly associated with cannabis. Instead, it seems to “switch off” the gene responsible for metastasizing breast cancer.

They reportedly found the compound doesn’t only stop the breast cancer cells from growing, but even causes them to return back to normal cells, cancer-free.”

More: http://naturalsociety.com/study-positive-cannabis-and-cancer-link/

Smoking Marijuana Does Not Cause Lung Cancer

Posted on May 30, 2013 by David

“New research shows here seems to be something in pot that actually undermines cancer, instead of causing it. — and the media are doing their best to ignore it.

There is a groundswell of attention in the news to marijuana’s role in causing and preventing various types of cancers. Last week, AlterNet published an article from the Marijuana Policy Project about a new study finding that pot smokers have a lower risk of head and neck cancers than people who don’t smoke pot…

Smoking pot doesn’t cause lung cancer. In fact, the study found that cigarette smokers who also smoked marijuana were at a lower risk of contracting lung cancer than tobacco-only smokers…

You’d think it would have been very big news in June 2005 when UCLA medical school professor Donald Tashkin reported that components of marijuana smoke somehow prevent them from becoming malignant.

In other words, something in marijuana exerts an anti-cancer effect!”

More:http://www.alternet.org/story/142271/smoking_marijuana_does_not_cause_lung_cancer

Marijuana Unlikely to Cause Head, Neck, or Lung Cancer – WebMD

Posted on May 30, 2013 by David

“Marijuana, unlike tobacco and alcohol, does not appear to cause head, neck, or lung cancer, says a researcher from Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore who presented findings from a study here recently at a meeting of internal medicine physicians.

There has been an ongoing debate about whether marijuana is as dangerous as tobacco in terms of cancer development. Daniel E. Ford, MD, tried to sort out the evidence by the lifestyles — including marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol use — of 164 persons who were newly diagnosed with head, neck, or lung cancer compared to a group of 526 healthy persons living in the same area. The average age of patients was 49, while the average age of the healthy volunteers was 44. The cancer patients were all treated at four Baltimore-area hospitals, and the “controls” (healthy comparison group) were selected from a large group of people living in the Baltimore area who had been participating in an ongoing study. Ford tells WebMD that he wanted to find out whether the cancer patients were more likely to smoke marijuana or tobacco or to drink than were the healthy volunteers.

According to Ford, he thought he would find an association between marijuana use and cancer, but “that the association would fall away when we corrected for tobacco use. That was not the case. The association was never there.” And that surprised him because of the way marijuana is smoked: deep inhalations, with the smoke held in for effect. “It seemed natural that there would be some connection,” he tells WebMD.

Based on these findings, Ford says that cancer prevention efforts should “remain focused on tobacco and alcohol, two known carcinogens.””

More: http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20000508/marijuana-unlikely-to-cause-cancer

Update from WebMD:

“Pot Smoking Not Linked to Lung Cancer

Study Shows No Increased Risk for Even the Heaviest Marijuana Smokers.

People who smoke marijuana do not appear to be at increased risk for developing lung cancer, new research suggests.While a clear increase in cancercancer risk was seen among cigarette smokers in the study, no such association was seen for regular cannabis users.Even very heavy, long-term marijuana users who had smoked more than 22,000 joints over a lifetime seemed to have no greater risk than infrequent marijuana users or nonusers.”

More: http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20060523/pot-smoking-not-linked-to-lung-cancer

Medical Marijuana Inc Announces Positive Developments in Recent Studies Using Cannabidiol (CBD) Compound; NBC News, ABC News and Huffington Post Report California Pacific Medical Center’s Findings That CBD Stops Metastasis in Aggressive Cancers – The Wall Street Journal

Posted on May 30, 2013 by David

“Medical Marijuana Inc Announces Positive Developments in Recent Studies Using Cannabidiol (CBD) Compound; NBC News, ABC News and Huffington Post Report California Pacific Medical Center’s Findings That CBD Stops Metastasis in Aggressive Cancers

SAN DIEGO, May 28, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Medical Marijuana Inc (OTC Pink:MJNA) is pleased to inform shareholders and the general public of recent developments in the research involving Cannabidiol (CBD) and other Phyto-cannabinoids.

The Following is taken from a Huffington Post interview with Dr. McAllister and Dr. Desprez:

A pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever.

“It took us about 20 years of research to figure this out, but we are very excited,” said Pierre Desprez, one of the scientists behind the discovery, to The Huffington Post. “We want to get started with trials as soon as possible.”

The Daily Beast first reported on the finding, which has already undergone both laboratory and animal testing, and is awaiting permission for clinical trials in humans.

Desprez, a molecular biologist, spent decades studying ID-1, the gene that causes cancer to spread. Meanwhile, fellow researcher Sean McAllister was studying the effects of Cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-toxic, non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the cannabis plant. Finally, the pair collaborated, combining CBD and cells containing high levels of ID-1 in a petri dish.

“What we found was that his Cannabidiol could essentially ‘turn off’ the ID-1,” Desprez told HuffPost. The cells stopped spreading and returned to normal.

“We likely would not have found this on our own,” he added. “That’s why collaboration is so essential to scientific discovery.”

Desprez and McAllister first published a paper about the finding in 2007. Since then, their team has found that CBD works both in the lab and in animals. And now, they’ve found even more good news.

“We started by researching breast cancer,” said Desprez. “But now we’ve found that Cannabidiol works with many kinds of aggressive cancers–brain, prostate–any kind in which these high levels of ID-1 are present.”

Desprez hopes that clinical trials will begin immediately.

“We’ve found no toxicity in the animals we’ve tested, and Cannabidiol is already used in humans for a variety of other ailments,” he said. Indeed, the compound is used to relieve anxiety and nausea, and, since it is non-psychoactive, does not cause the “high” associated with THC.

While marijuana advocates will surely praise the discovery, Desprez explained that it’s not so easy as just lighting up.

“We used injections in the animal testing and are also testing pills,” he said. “But you could never get enough Cannabidiol for it to be effective just from smoking.”

Additional Information:

Dr. McAllister & CBD Research

Dr. Sean McAllister says that he is ready to begin testing CBD on humans to evaluate anti-cancer properties. Dr. McAllister and colleague Pierre Desprez, PhD from California Pacific Medical Center have previously mentioned, “Cannabidiol offers hope of a non-toxic therapy that could treat aggressive forms of cancer without any of the painful side effects of chemotherapy.” “We found that this one compound, CBD, had a specific effect on metastatic cancer cells, very aggressive tumor cells. CBD in animal studies has been used to ‘switch off’ a specific gene regulator.” Dr. McAllister explains: “We find when you treat with CBD, you down regulate the expression of this protein and that inhibits the disease process.” Dr. McAllister and Dr. Desprez have developed a synthetic version of CBD, which they say targets a specific gene in the body related to the spread of cancer (metastasis). Article: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=9057615

Additional Cannabidiol Information

ABC News-

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=9057615

Huffington Post-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/marijuana-and-cancer_n_1898208. html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003&ir=Weird%20News

US. National Cancer Institute

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/p age4

Additional Dr. McAllister Publications

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Sean%20McAllister

Additional Published Material on Cannabidiol (CBD)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gquery/?term=CANNABIDIOL”

More: http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130528-906109.html

Tommy Chong is cancer-free

Posted on May 29, 2013 by David

“Comedian and stoner icon TOMMY CHONG is celebrating after he was declared cancer-free. The Cheech & Chong star revealed last June (12) that he was suffering with stage one prostate cancer, but he decided against traditional medicine to treat the disease and instead opted to overhaul his diet and lifestyle.”

“Chong has now told fans he has overcome the cancer, and opened up about how he treated the condition.

In a blog post on CelebStoner.com, he writes, “After I came out with the news last June that a cancer doctor told me I had prostrate cancer and suggested a high frequency treatment that is not approved in America and could only be done in Mexico at the cost of $25,000, I immediately looked at alternatives. I contacted my nephew in Vancouver, who was about to become a doctor, and he suggested I meet with a Dr. McKinnon in Victoria, BC (British Columbia).

“That doctor changed my diet and put me on supplements, and within a year I brought my PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) numbers down drastically and eliminated the cancer threat. I also treated the condition with hemp oil (hash oil). With the diet, the supplements and the hash oil, plus a session with a world-renowned healer, Adam Dreamhealer, I’m cancer-free. That’s right, I kicked cancer’s a**! So the magic plant does cure cancer with the right diet and supplements. I’m due for another blood test, MRI, etc., but I feel the best I’ve felt in years.””

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/entertainment/celebrity/Tommy-Chong-is-cancerfree_42071723

Tommy Chong: ‘I’m Cancer-Free!’

Posted on May 29, 2013 by David

“After I came out with the news last June that a cancer doctor told me I had prostrate cancer and suggested a high frequency treatment that is not approved in America and could only be done in Mexico at the cost of $25,000, I immediately looked at alternatives.

I contacted my nephew in Vancouver, who was about to become a doctor, and he suggested I meet with a Dr. McKinnon in Victoria, BC. That doctor changed my diet and put me on supplements, and within a year I brought my PSA numbers down drastically and eliminated the cancer threat.

I also treated the condition with hemp oil (hash oil). With the diet, the supplements and the hash oil, plus a session with a world-renowned healer, Adam Dreamhealer, I’m cancer-free.

That’s right, I kicked cancer’s ass!

So the magic plant does cure cancer with the right diet and supplements. I’m due for another blood test, MRI, etc., but I feel the best I’ve felt in years. And now for a celebration joint of the finest Kush…”

http://www.celebstoner.com/blogs/tommy-chong/2013/05/06/tommy-chong-im-cancer-free!/

Tommy Chong Says Marijuana Helped Him Beat Cancer – FOX

Posted on May 29, 2013 by David

“One half of the famous “Cheech and Chong” comedy team says he has beaten prostate cancer, thanks to the use of marijuana.”

“Earlier this week Tommy Chong posted on CelebStoner that he had “kicked cancer’s a**!”

“So the magic plant does cure cancer with the right diet and supplements,” wrote Chong.

Chong is crediting his recovery with the somewhat unconventional methods of his Canadian doctor, who treated his cancer with “hash oil” and encouraged him to change his diet. He also said a number of sessions with Adam Dreamhealer, a man whom he described as a “world-renowned healer”.

Last June, the 74-year-old comedian was diagnosed with cancer after a three-year period in which he said he had been drug free.

Chong said he is 99 percent free of the disease.

“I’m due for another blood test, MRI, etc., but I feel the best I’ve felt in years,” he wrote in his post.

Chong, who revealed in June 2012, he was using cannabis to treat his cancer, said in an interview with CNN, that legalizing marijuana “means a lot more to me than just being able to smoke a joint without being arrested.”

The actor is best known as being part of the stoner-comedy duo “Cheech and Chong” with Richard “Cheech” Marin.”

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2013/05/13/tommy-chong-says-marijuana-helped-him-beat-cancer/

Comedian Tommy Chong fighting prostate cancer – CNN

Posted on May 29, 2013 by David

“(CNN) — Tommy Chong, one-half of the marijuana-loving “Cheech and Chong” comedy duo, is battling prostate cancer, he announced Saturday on CNN.

Having first noticed symptoms about eight years ago while incarcerated for selling drug paraphernalia, Chong said he was diagnosed “about a month ago.” He revealed his condition in an interview about his support for decriminalizing marijuana use and sales.

“I’ve got prostate cancer, and I’m treating it with hemp oil, with cannabis,” he told CNN’s Don Lemon. “So (legalizing marijuana) means a lot more to me than just being able to smoke a joint without being arrested.”

Chong described the cancer “as a slow stage one (that I’ve) had for a long time.” He said that he was drug free for about three years, during which time he began having prostate-related problems.

“So I know it had nothing to do with cannabis,” he said. “Cannabis is a cure.”

He and his on-screen partner Cheech Marin recorded a series of hot-selling comedy albums in the early 1970s, before hitting the big screen in 1978 with “Up in Smoke.” It was the first of several “Cheech and Chong” films chronicling the adventures and misadventures of the stoner pair. The two continue to tour as a comedic act, with shows scheduled for later this month and the fall, according to their official website.

Besides the “Cheech and Chong” films, Chong has appeared in several TV series, such as “That 70’s Show.” He’s authored several books including “The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint” about his “family business” specializing in handmade bongs, arrest and nine months in federal prison, according to his and Marin’s website.

Chong, 74, explained to CNN that he doesn’t smoke marijuana, which he said he’d quit about a year ago “for health reasons,” to treat his prostate cancer. Rather, he said the ingests the hemp oil “at night, so I won’t be woozy all day.”

“I’m taking it as a medicine,” he said.”

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/09/showbiz/chong-prostate-cancer