Jim I'm a cancer survivor. Chemo did a number on my body. If I have a recurrence chemo will kill me. I cannot go through chemo again due to heart failure 3 years ago. MANY SIDE EFFECTS HAVE DAMAGED MY BODY-SOME PEOPLE CANNOT DO CHEMO AGAIN. tHAT IS WHAT THIS ARTICLE MEANS TO ME.

[ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] feel free of course to read the whole thing, which comes, as you can see, from the national institute of health, but here is the abstract:

To date, cannabinoids have been allowed in the palliative medicine due to their analgesic and antiemetic effects, but increasing number of preclinical studies indicates their anticancer properties. Cannabinoids exhibit their action by a modulation of the signaling pathways crucial in the control of cell proliferation and survival. Many in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown that cannabinoids inhibit proliferation of cancer cells, stimulate autophagy and apoptosis, and have also a potential to inhibit angiogenesis and metastasis. In this review, we present an actual state of knowledge regarding molecular mechanisms of cannabinoids’ anticancer action, but we discuss also aspects that are still not fully understood such as the role of the endocannabinoid system in a carcinogenesis, the impact of cannabinoids on the immune system in the context of cancer development, or the cases of a stimulation of cancer cells’ proliferation by cannabinoids. The review includes also a summary of currently ongoing clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids as anticancer agents.

is the nih saying that every cancer patient should suddenly quit chemo or radiation and run to the corner and buy some dope? no, but on the other hand, saying there is no evidence or history of their curing any form of cancer is not strictly true (it may depend on what you mean by "cure" and whether you take into account that these studies have not aimed at curing anything, but at inhibiting the cancer's growth, which is of course the beginning of a cure; so yeah we may not be able to find some guy whose cancer was cured by smoking grass, but that's because no one is [officially] doing that). to just dismiss this is almost as irresponsible as saying grass will definitely cure cancer.

g

@sassygirl3869 I have seen the effects of chemo, even on an infant, who actually exhibited the most quick and complete recovery I'm aware of, I definitely sympathize with chemo patients and radiation treatment patients. I donate to the American Cancer Society and hope that more effective treatments are developed. I don't mean to discourage hope or instill fear, but false cures are not hope.

There have been great advances in treating some forms of cancer and more are in development. Bashing science and discouraging people from contributing to real research is doing a disservice to everyone affected; patients, family, friends, and medical professionals.

I'm not anti-marijuana. I support legalization for recreational use, research, and proven therapeutic use, but it's not a panacea.

@genessa I did not categorically state, or intend to, that it's not a useful tool, but what's conclusive to this point is that it is a valuable part of a regimen of treatment that includes chemotherapy.

I'd like to point out that the meme above clearly intends that cannabinoids be used in place of chemo. "Fuck chemo" is the exact phrasing.

This is just an aside I want to mention: Even if one person or several were cured by smoking weed, it would be crazy to suggest that smoking it is effective because of the difference in chemical composition from plant to plant. Extracts of the active compounds would the only way to effectively administer them, if they are concluded to work.

@JimG no one (here, so far) is saying it's a panacea. i just don't like to see it dismissed as at all curative (as opposed to merely palliative, not that that's not important too).

g

According to the American Association for Cancer Research, it cuts cancer cell growth in half. Hmmmm.