Can Cannabis Oil Kill Cancer?

Cannabis Oil – Freind or Foe?

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world, affecting people of all different cultures and geographical regions. In 2012 alone, over 8.2 million deaths were estimated from cancer throughout the globe. Whilst some cancers are the result of lifestyle choices, other cancers are simply unavoidable, and scientists and medical researchers have been dedicating themselves to signs of permanent cures for decades in the fight to control this debilitating disease. There is a wide range of cancers that appear in patients of all ages, genders, backgrounds and geographical areas, and as such, the treatment of cancer is a difficult and extensive process that requires an individualized approach for every patient.

In the midst of this medical research, people are turning to all methods of potential tools when it comes to limiting cancer’s ability to grow, generate and cause detrimental harm. One natural method of treatment that has risen to the surface is cannabis oil. Whilst this it not at all a ‘cure’ for cancer in its own right, studies have proven its ability to kill cancer kills and inhibit growth. It’s important to understand the difference between ‘cure’ and ‘kill’, but once you’ve come to terms with these key differences, the information available to date on cannabis oil’s ability to not only inhibit cancerous growth but to actually kill the very core cancer cells is powerful.

Research is compelling enough that the use of cannabis oil for patients suffering from cancer is well worth a thorough and careful examination. As with any form of treatment, cancer patients should consult with their doctors before beginning any form of cannabis oil treatment, as there are certain side effects that may interfere with pre-existing medical prescriptions or any personal medical conditions.

Cannabis oil and the death of cancer cells

Whilst research is in the early days as to the specifics of how and whether cannabis oil is an effective treatment for cancer patients, it has already been scientifically proven within lab environments that both natural and synthetic cannabinoids are able to achieve the following…

Induce apoptosis and trigger cell death – this is important when it comes to finding ways to trigger the death of cancer cells Prevent cells from dividing, prohibiting the development of new cancerous cells – this minimizes the risk of cancer spreading further throughout the body and becoming more difficult to control Stop blood vessels from developing into tumors, reducing risk to the body from further cancer growth Minimize the chance of cancer cells spreading throughout the body and taking over more tissue Encourage the process of autophagy, which is the cell’s internal waste disposal mechanism, which can lead to apoptosis – another way the use of cannabis oil encourages cell death in dangerous and debilitating cancer cells

When you examine the range of effects that have been proven to date, it’s obvious that the area of cannabis oil as a cancer-killing tool is worth deeper investigation and experimentation. In the meantime, while science catches up, many individuals choose to begin a regulated cannabis oil treatment at a set dosage to gain the benefits of its ability to cause cancer cell death.

To understand how cannabis oil achieves all of this, it’s important to begin by understanding how cancer cells are kept alive, in order to see the full picture of how cannabis oil causes their death.

Cells are intricately made up of different elements, one of which is called the ‘Sphingolipid Rheostat’. These are responsible for managing the life and death of that particular cell. When levels of endogenous ceramide are too high, apoptosis – cell death – is on its way. If the opposite occurs, and ceramide is low, that cell is strong and healthy.

Two phrases you need to be familiar with to examine the effect of cannabis on cancer cell death are cannabinoids CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). When THC makes a connection to one of the cannabinoid receptor sites that reside on the cancer cell, an increase in ceramide synthesis occurs. This goes on to cause cell death. Normal cells are protected and remain healthy, as they do not produce ceramide when THC is present, and are not at all affected by the presence of the cannabinoid.

One of the other ways cannabis works as an anti-cancer agent is in the prevention of blood vessels growing into a tumor. Sometimes crucial blood vessels can actually turn into tumorous growths, and research has proven cannabis as a tool to minimize this risk and therefore reduce the risk of cancer spreading further throughout the body.

More research has investigated the combination of cannabinoids with other chemotherapy drugs and has found this may also be a highly effective approach. Drugs including gemcitabine and temozolomide were tested in a lab environment alongside cannabinoids and evidence was found to support this theory. In the future, we may find that medical experts are prescribing a combined approach of synthesized chemotherapy drugs alongside natural cannabis oil ingestion.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia conducted studies that transplanted lab-grown cancer cells into mice to gain a better understanding of why different levels of the THC cannabinoid have different effects on cancer cells. Their studies found that THC works far more effectively in higher doses to slow cancer cell growth than in lower doses.