THC causes cell death. Very interesting

[elprup, BSN, RN]

I was watching youtube video about Rick Simpson and his hemp treatment for Cancer. Very interesting to say the least.

Here are some other science articles stating THC causes cell death. I have yet to read them all, and most are just the abstracts, but are we missing something somewhere? Is this a true miracle drug? And is this why it is illegal?

If you are interested in this, here are some links:

This is from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15454482Display Settings:AbstractSend to:Blood. 2005 Feb 1;105(3):1214-21. Epub 2004 Sep 28. Cannabis-induced cytotoxicity in leukemic cell lines: the role of the cannabinoid receptors and the MAPK pathway.

Powles T, te Poele R, Shamash J, Chaplin T, Propper D, Joel S, Oliver T, Liu WM.SourceNew Drug Study Group, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

Abstract Delta9:

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active metabolite of cannabis. THC causes cell death in vitro through the activation of complex signal transduction pathways. However, the role that the cannabinoid 1 and 2 receptors (CB1-R and CB2-R) play in this process is less clear.

We therefore investigated the role of the CB-Rs in mediating apoptosis in 3 leukemic cell lines and performed microarray and immunoblot analyses to establish further the mechanism of cell death. We developed a novel flow cytometric technique of measuring the expression of functional receptors and used combinations of selective CB1-R and CB2-R antagonists and agonists to determine their individual roles in this process. We have shown that THC is a potent inducer of apoptosis, even at 1 x IC(50) (inhibitory concentration 50%) concentrations and as early as 6 hours after exposure to the drug. These effects were seen in leukemic cell lines (CEM, HEL-92, and HL60) as well as in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Additionally, THC did not appear to act synergistically with cytotoxic agents such as cisplatin. One of the most intriguing findings was that THC-induced cell death was preceded by significant changes in the expression of genes involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathways. Both apoptosis and gene expression changes were altered independent of p53 and the CB-Rs.PMID: 15454482 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free full textPublication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances

Another one from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1159836&dopt=CitationAnd

Another http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm stating lung cancer tumor cut in half.

And another http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2007/11/19/cannabis-cancer.html

A compound of the marijuana plant may prevent aggressive breast cancers from spreading throughout the body, new research from the United States suggests.

A team of researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute say cannabis compound CBD could provide a non-toxic alternative to chemotherapy for cancer treatments. Previous research has shown the compound can block human brain cancers, and recent lab experiments have shown it may be able to do the same for breast cancer.

And here is another place that lists a ton: http://forum.grasscity.com/medical-marijuana-usage-applications/436257-granny-storm-crows-list-july-2009-a.htmlPS

[leslie :-D]

a couple of months ago, my son excitedly shared an article with me, about hemp being an effective cancer tx.

you have to wonder why we're not seeing/hearing more about the potential of its efficacy towards ca.

there's an awful lot of info out there yet very little being aggressively researched.

i too, would like to know why it's not getting the attn that it seemingly should.

leslie

[MunoRN, RN]

Cannibidiol (another main component of marijuana) has been approved and used for some time in Canada and Europe for cancer treatment since it inhibits the growth of cancer cells. It's also approved for use as an antipsychotic and has been shown to be as effective as other atypical antipsychotics except with fewer side effects. There's a lot of pushback in the medical community to medications derived from marijuana due to the stigma associated with it (not to mention the potential effect on drug company profits), which is sort of understandable. What's been disappointing is how much the Nursing community, which you would think would be all for a safer and often more effective alternative for patients, has displayed the same discriminatory sort of attitude towards marijuana derivatives that you'd find in the most callous pharmaceutical reps and tea-totalers.

[flyingchange]

My personal opinion is that marijuana provides symptom relief for many people with chronic disease with low/no side effects, but it is cheap and can't be patented, so big pharma is motivated to maintain the prohibition for their own benefit.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

well, that's a relief. nobody i knew in college will get cancer.

[canned_bread]

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that THC has positive effects. A friend of mine recently went through chemo that had devastating effects including irretractable nausea, insomnia, incredible pain that only morphine touched... had some THC oil regularly throughout the day and those symptoms improved to the extent that she stopped taking anti-nausea meds and decreased morphine dose and frequency by more than half. Unfortunately, she felt that she could not inform her doctor she was taking this (although I encouraged her to for safetys sake) because she felt he would not accept or approve of her illegal behaviour.

Unfortunately, THC also has negative effects as far as driving impairments, mixing it with tobacco (a carinogenic), and for some susceptible people it also triggers psychosis (although I do wonder about the chicken and the egg thing...). ALL medications have side effects though, don't they!

I think the reason why it is not legal is for many reasons including:

1) the government could not get money off it, or tax it, because people could grow their own

2) people are now effectively brainwashed in that dope is bad

3) big embarrassment for the government to change their stance

4) the right wing is against it because they don't like change and believe everything is fine right now. Meanwhile, kids are being put in jail for holding a piece of weed to try it out.

Basically, I think it's all political.

My personal belief is it should be legal for medicinal purposes. Amsterdam has legalised THC for persons 18+, and has somewhat integrated it into their health care system too. The social perception of it there now is that it is NOT good for children, children don't think it is any cooler than alcohol, and they are all living harmoniously.

Just my 10 cents.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

Great, now it's a chemotherapy drug. Jeez you guys, just admit you enjoy ripping bong hits and leave it at that. I guess it was only a matter of time before someone started claiming pot cures cancer.

If marijuana is actually effective as a therapeutic drug, the people preventing it from being approved and distributed are the stoners using it recreationally.

I'll wait for the RCTs that will once again show that pot isn't as effective as alternatives or placebo for anything except (and possibly including) getting high.

[Maremma]

Years back I knew a woman that would smoke pot every day of her life for as long as I knew her.Started sometime in early teen years. She developed colon cancer at the age of 28 and continued to smoke her pot every single day stating that it worked better than any of the things the Dr's gave her for the nausea and pain.This was along with all her legal cancer treatments. When I went to her funeral I was still left wondering what the true affects of all her pot smoking had done in the development, treatment and ultimate death from this cancer. I can tell you for sure it sure doesn't prevent one from getting cancer nor did it extend her life beyond what the Dr told her was her life expectancy.

[malamud69, BSN, RN]

Hmmm My 2 cents...All drugs must be decriminalized...regardless.(prostitution as well) If THC works to help people great! They should be allowed to use it. I personally know many people that use it as a cancer tx. Of course this will probably not happen in my lifetime(40ish) because as someone above said so keenly...people are brainwashed. Funny that the other day ...again..the coast guard caught a ship bringing in over 4000lbs of cocaine. I assume people think the war on drugs is working??? Sometimes I wonder what century this country is living in!