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http://www.newsweek.com/marijuana-might-kill-cancer-1289
Recent research gives new hope and meaning to the phrase “medical marijuana.”
In a paper published in October’s Anticancer Research, Wai Liu, a senior research fellow at St. George’s University of London, reports that he found six cannabinoids – active components of the cannabis plant – that can slow or outright kill cancer cells.
Though THC is the main cannabinoid associated with marijuana and has been recognized to have a “really strong anti-cancer effect,” Liu says, “it’s not a good candidate for therapeutic use because of its psychoactive properties.”
He examined whether several lesser-known cannabinoids would impact the growth of leukemia cells both individually and in combination.
The result?
“They’re good at killing cancer cells,” he says. And “because they’re not psychoactive, you can actually have the benefits associated with anti-cancer technology but not have the feelings of high, which are associated with THC.”
Some cannabinoids are better at killing cancer cells and others are better at slowing their growth, so combining certain cannabinoids has a heightened effect. “It’s like a double hit,” he says.
Plus, they do not appear to target all rapidly dividing cells the way chemotherapy or radiation does – which leads to side effects, such as hair loss. Rather, they appear to attack just the cancer.
But don’t fire up a joint quite yet, Liu cautions. “I’m not suggesting that people should smoke it. Smoking is a bad thing by a chemist’s point of view. You can do a lot more harm than good. You can lose the essence of what makes an excellent anti-cancer agent by smoking it.”
The story continues: http://www.newsweek.com/marijuana-might-kill-cancer-1289
Recent research gives new hope and meaning to the phrase “medical marijuana.”
In a paper published in October’s Anticancer Research, Wai Liu, a senior research fellow at St. George’s University of London, reports that he found six cannabinoids – active components of the cannabis plant – that can slow or outright kill cancer cells.
Though THC is the main cannabinoid associated with marijuana and has been recognized to have a “really strong anti-cancer effect,” Liu says, “it’s not a good candidate for therapeutic use because of its psychoactive properties.”
He examined whether several lesser-known cannabinoids would impact the growth of leukemia cells both individually and in combination.
The result?
“They’re good at killing cancer cells,” he says. And “because they’re not psychoactive, you can actually have the benefits associated with anti-cancer technology but not have the feelings of high, which are associated with THC.”
Some cannabinoids are better at killing cancer cells and others are better at slowing their growth, so combining certain cannabinoids has a heightened effect. “It’s like a double hit,” he says.
Plus, they do not appear to target all rapidly dividing cells the way chemotherapy or radiation does – which leads to side effects, such as hair loss. Rather, they appear to attack just the cancer.
But don’t fire up a joint quite yet, Liu cautions. “I’m not suggesting that people should smoke it. Smoking is a bad thing by a chemist’s point of view. You can do a lot more harm than good. You can lose the essence of what makes an excellent anti-cancer agent by smoking it.”
The story continues: http://www.newsweek.com/marijuana-might-kill-cancer-1289
