Study: No Association Between Cannabis Smoke and Risk of Lung Cancer

Posted on May 24, 2013 by David

“Numerous preclinical studies have documented that cannabinoids possess potent anti-cancer properties, including the inhibition of lung cancer cell growth.

In a recent presentation given at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, investigators from the University of California, Los Angeles provided the latest data reaffirming that cannabis consumption is not associated with an elevated risk of lung cancer.

Numerous preclinical studies have documented that cannabinoids possess potent anti-cancer properties, including the inhibition of lung cancer cell growth.”

More: http://salem-news.com/articles/may202013/pot-cancer.php

Active Component Of Marijuana Has Anti-Cancer Effects, Study Suggests

Posted on May 6, 2013 by David

“Guillermo Velasco and colleagues, at Complutense University, Spain, have provided evidence that suggests that cannabinoids such as the main active component of marijuana (THC) have anticancer effects on human brain cancer cells.

In the study, THC was found to induce the death of various human brain cancer cell lines and primary cultured human brain cancer cells by a process known as autophagy.

Consistent with the in vitro data, administration of THC to mice with human tumors decreased tumor growth and induced the tumor cells to undergo autophagy. As analysis of tumors from two patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (a highly aggressive brain tumor) receiving intracranial THC administration showed signs of autophagy, the authors suggest that cannabinoid administration may provide a new approach to targeting human cancers.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401181217.htm

“Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells” https://www.jci.org/articles/view/37948

Antitumor Effects of THC.

Posted on May 6, 2013 by David

“1-Trans-[delta.sup.9]-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the main active component of marijuana, has been shown to exhibit anticancer activity.

Galve-Roperh et al. reported that intratumoral administration of THC induces apoptosis of transformed neural cells in culture, and also induces a considerable regression of malignant gliomas in Wistar rats and in mice… These authors suggest that their “results may provide the basis for a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignant gliomas.”

Thus, in our studies, rats and mice that received THC for 2 years exhibited body weight reductions, enhanced survival rates, and decreased tumor incidences in several sites, mainly organs under hormonal control.

These earlier experimental carcinogenesis results on THC clearly lend further validity to the notion that cannabinoids may indeed be anticarcinogenic.”

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Antitumor+Effects+of+THC.-a068148345

“Antitumor effects of THC.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11097557

The Amazing Health Benefits of Juicing Raw Cannabis (Marijuana) Leaves

Posted on April 20, 2013 by David

“Contrary to popular belief, the marijuana plant is a whole lot more than just a psychoactive drug that “stoners” use to get high.

In raw form, marijuana leaves and buds are actually loaded with a non-psychoactive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer nutrient compound known as cannabidiol (CBD) that is proving to be a miracle “superfood” capable of preventing and reversing a host of chronic illnesses…

“There’s a tendency to discount claims when something appears to be good for everything, but there’s a reason this is the case. The endogenous cannabinoid system acts as a modulator in fine-tuning a lot of these systems, and if something is deranged biochemically in a person’s body, it may well be that a cannabinoid system can bring things back into balance.””

Cannabidiol Relieves Psychosis in Schizophrenia, Why is it Illegal?

Posted on January 30, 2013 by David

“A molecule in cannabis (CBD) has shown to relieve anxiety and symptoms of psychosis in people diagnosed with schizophrenia, though many patients are denied or discouraged from this medicine with fewer side effects than pharmaceutical products because the DEA has deemed the cannabis plant to be “illegal”. The U.S. government needs to answer “why?” this medicine warrents time in prison when nobody is being harmed.

Investigators concluded, “Our results provide evidence that the non-cannabimimetic constituent of marijuana, cannabidiol, exerts clinically relevant antipsychotic effects that are associated with marked tolerability and safety, when compared with current medications. … The results … potentially represent a completely new mechanism in the treatment of schizophrenia.”

“Studies have suggested a wide range of possible therapeutic effects of cannabidiol on several conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral ischemia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory diseases, nausea and cancer,” Zuardi writes. Let’s look at a few of these in detail, shall we?

1. Antiepileptic action
“In 1973, a Brazilian group reported that CBD was active in … blocking convulsions produced in experimental animals.”

2. Sedative action
“In humans with insomnia, high doses of CBD increased sleep duration compared to placebo.”

3. Anxiolytic action
“CBD induce[s] a clear anxiolytic effect and a pattern of cerebral activity compatible with an anxiolytic activity.”

4. Antipsychcotic action
“[C]linical studies suggest that CBD is an effective, safe and well-tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenic patients.”

5. Antidystonic action
“CBD … had antidystonic effects in humans when administered along with standard medication to five patients with dystonia, in an open study.”

6. Antioxidative action
“[I]t was demonstrated that CBD can reduce hydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage as well as or better than other antioxidants. CBD was more protective against glutamate neurotoxicity than either ascorbate or a-tocopherol, indicating that this drug is a potent antioxidant.”

7. Neuroprotective action
“A marked reduction in the cell survival was observed following exposure of cultured rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells to beta-A peptide. Treatment of the cells with CBD prior to beta-A exposure significantly elevated the cell survival.”

8. Antiinflammatory action
“CBD, administered i.p. or orally, has blocked the progression of arthritis.”

9. Cardioprotective action
“CBD induces a substantial cardioprotective effect.”

10. Action on diabetes
“CBD treatment of NOD (non-obese diabetic) mice before the development of the disease reduced its incidence from 86% in the non-treated control mice to 30% in CBD-treated mice. … It was also observed that administration of CBD to 11-14 week old female NOD mice, which were either in a latent diabetes stage or had initial symptoms of diabetes, ameliorated the manifestations of the disease.”

11. Antiemetic action
“The expression of this conditioned retching reaction was completely suppressed by CBD and delta9-THC, but not by ondansetron, [an] antagonist that interferes with acute vomiting.”

12. Anticancer action
“A study of the effect of different cannabinoids on eight tumor cell lines, in vitro, has clearly indicated that, of the five natural compounds tested, CBD was the most potent inhibitor of cancer cell growth.”

In sum, the past 45 years of scientific study on CBD has revealed the compound to be non-toxic, non-psychoactive, and to possess a multitude of therapeutic properties. Yet, to this day it remains illegal to possess or use (and nearly impossible to study in US clinical trials) simply because it is associated with marijuana.

What possible advancements in medical treatment may have been achieved over the past decades had US government officials chosen to advance — rather than inhibit — clinical research into CBD (which, under federal law, remains a Schedule I drug defined as having “no currently accepted medical use”)? Perhaps it’s time someone asks John Walters or the DEA?”

Read more: http://rinf.com/alt-news/latest-news/cannabidiol-relieves-psychosis-in-schizophrenia-why-is-it-illegal/17827/

Local Delivery of Cannabinoid-Loaded Microparticles Inhibits Tumor Growth in a Murine Xenograft Model of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Posted on January 28, 2013 by David

“Treatment with cannabinoid-loaded microparticles activates apoptosis and inhibits tumor angiogensis. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of biodegradable polymeric microparticles allowing the controlled release of the phytocannabinoids THC and CBD. Our findings show that administration of cannabinoid-loaded microparticles reduces the growth of glioma xenografts supporting that this method of administration could be exploited for the design of cannabinoid-based anticancer treatments.

Cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana and their derivatives, are currently investigated due to their potential therapeutic application for the management of many different diseases, including cancer. Specifically, Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) – the two major ingredients of marijuana – have been shown to inhibit tumor growth in a number of animal models of cancer, including glioma. Although there are several pharmaceutical preparations that permit the oral administration of THC or its analogue nabilone or the oromucosal delivery of a THC- and CBD-enriched cannabis extract, the systemic administration of cannabinoids has several limitations in part derived from the high lipophilicity exhibited by these compounds. In this work we analyzed CBD- and THC-loaded poly-ε-caprolactone microparticles as an alternative delivery system for long-term cannabinoid administration in a murine xenograft model of glioma. In vitro characterization of THC- and CBD-loaded microparticles showed that this method of microencapsulation facilitates a sustained release of the two cannabinoids for several days. Local administration of THC-, CBD- or a mixture (1:1 w:w) of THC- and CBD-loaded microparticles every 5 days to mice bearing glioma xenografts reduced tumour growth with the same efficacy than a daily local administration of the equivalent amount of those cannabinoids in solution. Moreover, treatment with cannabinoid-loaded microparticles enhanced apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and angiogenesis in these tumours. Our findings support that THC- and CBD-loaded microparticles could be used as an alternative method of cannabinoid delivery in anticancer therapies.

Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, exerts a wide variety of biological effects by mimicking endogenous substances – the endocannabinoids – that bind to and activate specific cannabinoid receptors. So far, two G protein–coupled cannabinoid-specific receptors have been cloned and characterized from mammalian tissues: CB₁, abundantly expressed in the brain and at many peripheral sites, and CB_2, expressed in the immune system and also present in some neuron subpopulations and glioma cells. One of the most active areas of research in the cannabinoid field is the study of the potential application of cannabinoids in the treatment of different pathologies. Among these therapeutic applications, cannabinoids are being investigated as anti-tumoral agents. Thus, cannabinoid administration curbs the growth of several types of tumor xenografts in rats and mice including gliomas. Based on this preclinical evidence, a pilot clinical trial has been recently run to investigate the anti-tumor action of THC on recurrent gliomas. The mechanism of THC anti-tumoral action relies on the ability of this compound to: (i) promote the apoptotic death of cancer cells (ii) to inhibit tumour angiogenesis and (iii) to reduce the migration of cancer cells.

Conclusions

Data presented in this manuscript show for the first time that in vivo administration of microencapsulated cannabinoids efficiently reduces tumor growth thus providing a proof of concept for the utilization of this formulation in cannabinoid-based anti-cancer therapies.”

Full text: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0054795.

Cannabinoids for Cancer Treatment: Progress and Promise

Posted on January 21, 2013 by David

Cancer Research: 68 (2)

“Cannabinoid refers to a group of chemicals naturally found in the marijuana plant Cannabis sativa L. and includes compounds that are either structurally or pharmacologically similar to Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol or those that bind to the cannabinoid receptors. Although anticancer effects of cannabinoids were shown as early as 1975 in Lewis lung carcinoma, renewed interest was generated little after the discovery of the cannabinoid system and cloning of the specific cannabinoid receptors.

Cannabinoids are a class of pharmacologic compounds that offer potential applications as antitumor drugs, based on the ability of some members of this class to limit inflammation, cell proliferation, and cell survival. In particular, emerging evidence suggests that agonists of cannabinoid receptors expressed by tumor cells may offer a novel strategy to treat cancer. Here, we review recent work that raises interest in the development and exploration of potent, nontoxic, and nonhabit forming cannabinoids for cancer therapy.”

Full Text: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/68/2/339.long

Cannabinoids Halt Pancreatic Cancer, Breast Cancer Growth, Studies Say

Posted on January 21, 2013 by David

“Compounds in cannabis inhibit cancer cell growth in human breast cancer cell lines and in pancreatic tumor cell lines, according to a pair of preclinical trials published in the July issue of the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In one trial, investigators at Complutense University in Spain and the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) in France assessed the anti-cancer activity of cannabinoids in pancreatic cancer cell lines and in animals. Cannabinoid administration selectively increased apoptosis (programmed cell death) in pancreatic tumor cells while ignoring healthy cells, researchers found. In addition, “cannabinoid treatment inhibited the spreading of pancreatic tumor cells … and reduced the growth of tumor cells” in animals.

“These findings may contribute to … a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer,” authors concluded.

In the second trial, investigators at Spain’s Complutense University reported that THC administration “reduces human breast cancer cell proliferation [in vitro] by blocking the progression of the cell cycle and by inducing apoptosis.” Authors concluded that their findings “may set the bases for a cannabinoid therapy for the management of breast cancer.”

Previous preclinical data published in May in the Journal of Pharmacological and Experimental Therapeutics reported that non-psychoactive cannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), dramatically halt the spread of breast cancer cells and recommended their use in cancer therapy.

Separate trials have also shown cannabinoids to reduce the size and halt the spread of glioma (brain tumor) cells in animals and humans in a dose dependent manner. Additional preclinical studies have demonstrated cannabinoids to inhibit cancer cell growth and selectively trigger malignant cell death in skin cancer cells, leukemic cells, lung cancer cells, and prostate carcinoma cells, among other cancerous cell lines.”

http://norml.org/news/2006/07/06/cannabinoids-halt-pancreatic-cancer-breast-cancer-growth-studies-say

Pot Compound Reduces Anxiety

Posted on January 18, 2013 by David

“According to clinical trial data published online in The Journal of Psychopharmacology, the administration of the non-psychoactive component of marijuana [cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD)] reduces anxiety in subjects with social anxiety disorder (SAD).

The anti-anxiety activity of oral doses of CBD in ten subjects was assessed by investigators at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil in a double blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Researchers concluded, “CBD reduces anxiety in SAD and that this is related to its effects on activity in limbic and paralimbic brain areas.”

This study is the first clinical trial to investigate the effects of cannabinoid cannabidiol on human pathological anxiety and its underlying brain mechanisms.

Previous studies in the context of CBD have suggested that the compound possesses anti-inflammatory activity, anti-cancer activity, and neuroprotective effects – among other therapeutic properties.

The study “Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report,” appeared online in The Journal of Psychopharmacology.”

http://www.imarijuana.com/news/pot-compound-reduces-anxiety

The Cannabinoid CB2 Receptor as a Target for Inflammation-Dependent Neurodegeneration

Posted on January 9, 2013 by David

“THE CANNABINOID CB2 RECEPTOR AS A BIORATIONAL TARGET FOR THE TREATMENT OF NEURODEGENERATION. The presence of CB2 receptors in microglia in the human Alzheimer’s diseased brain suggests that CB2 may provide a novel target for a range of neuropathologies.

The first approved cannabinoid drugs were analogues of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC). Dronabinol is a natural isomer of THC that is found in the cannabis plant, and Marinol^™ contains synthetic dronabinol. Marinol, and another analogue nabilone (Cesamet^™ ) are used to prevent nausea and vomiting after treatment with anti-cancer medicines. More recently, GW-100 (Sativex^™) which combines nearly equal amounts of Δ⁹-THC and cannabidiol in a whole plant extract from cultivated cannabis, has been approved in Canada…

We conclude that the administration of CB2 agonists and antagonists may differentially alter microglia-dependent neuroinflammation. CB2 specific compounds have considerable therapeutic appeal over CB1 compounds, as the exclusive expression of CB2 on immune cells within the brain provides a highly specialised target, without the psychoactivity that plagues CB1 directed therapies.

In addition, CB2 activation appears to prevent or decrease microglial activation.

In a rodent model of Alzheimer’s disease microglial activation was completely prevented by administration of a selective CB2 agonist.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18615177

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