Researchers show that medical cannabis can kill cancer cells

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A study shows positive results in using cannabis to attack cancer

The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute recently conducted a study that is bringing new hope to cancer patients. According to some laboratory tests, cannabis can help the body to kill and inhibit cancer cell growth while not negatively impacting any of the normal functioning cells. This discovery is quite revealing, and it could mean that cannabis can become not just a relief medication, but also an actual treatment and possible cure.

This research follows the three-year efforts of cancer researcher Dr. Matt Dun, working in collaboration with biotech company Australian Natural Therapeutics Group (ANTG) to create the preliminary product to be used in the lab study. During this investigation, the scientists produced a cannabis strain that contains less than 1% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and high levels of the compound cannabidiol (CBD). “ANTG wanted me to test it against cancer, so we initially used leukemia cells and were really surprised by how sensitive they were,” said Dun. “At the same time, the cannabis didn’t kill normal bone marrow cells, nor normal healthy neutrophils [white blood cells]. We then realised there was a cancer-selective mechanism involved, and we’ve spent the past couple of years trying to find the answer.”

To observe those mechanisms further, the team ran comparisons between cannabis containing more THC and a strain that had less THC but more CBD. According to the results, for both leukemia and pediatric brainstem glioma, the strain with more CBD than THC seemed more effective in killing cancer cells than just THC varieties. “There are trials around the world testing cannabis formulations containing THC as a cancer treatment, but if you’re on that therapy your quality of life is impacted,” Dun added. “You can’t drive, for example, and clinicians are justifiably reluctant to prescribe a child something that could cause hallucinations or other side-effects.” He claims that a treatment that contains more CBD than THC can allow the patient to have a more normal life.