|
|
|
http://www.sierratimes.com/03/11/07/article_kubby.htm
|
|
New
Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
|
|
|
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer
provides an historic and detailed explanation about
how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer,
but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of
Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active
components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory
animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling
pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and
death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth
of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist
and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs
because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed
normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function
of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on
cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its
reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and
other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop
dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other
way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished:
they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth
of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals
as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant."
In other words, this article explains several ways in
which cannabinoids might be used to fight cancer, and,
as the article says, "Cannabinoids are usually well
tolerated, and do not produce the generalized toxic
effects of conventional chemotherapies.
Usually, any story that even suggests the possibility
of a new treatment for cancer is greeted with headlines
about a "cancer cure" - however remote in the future
and improbable in fact it might be. But if marijuana
is involved, don't expect any coverage from mainstream
media, especially since mainstream editors have been
quietly killing this story for the past thirty years.
That's right, news about the abilility of pot to shrink
tumors first surfaced, way back in 1974. Researchers
at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded
by the National Institutes of Health to find evidence
that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead
that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer
in mice -- lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced
leukemia.
The Washington Post reported on the 1974 study -- in
the "Local" section -- on Aug. 18, 1974.
Under the headline, "Cancer Curb Is Studied," it read
in part: "The active chemical agent in marijuana curbs
the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice and may
also suppress the immunity reaction that causes rejection
of organ transplants, a Medical College of Virginia
team has discovered." The researchers "found that THC
slowed the growth of lung cancers, breast cancers, and
a virus-induced leukemia in laboratory mice, and prolonged
their lives by as much as 36 percent."
"News coverage of the Madrid discovery has been virtually
nonexistent in this country. The news broke quietly
on Feb. 29, 2000 with a story that ran once on
the UPI wire about the Nature Medicine article," complained MarijuanaNews.com
editor Richard Cowan , who said he was only able
to find the article through a link that appeared briefly
on the Drudge Report Web page. "The New York Times,
The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times all ignored
the story, even though its newsworthiness is indisputable:
a benign substance occurring in nature destroys deadly
brain tumors," added Cowan.
On
March 29, 2001, the San Antonio Current
printed a carefully researched, bombshell of
a story by Raymond Cushing titled, "POT SHRINKS TUMORS;
GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74."
Media coverage since then has been nonexistant, except
for a copy of the story on Alternet
.
It is hard to believe that the knowledge that cannabis
can be used to fight cancer has been suppressed for almost thirty
years , yet it seems likely that it will continue
to be suppressed. Why?
According to Cowan, the answer is because it is a threat to cannabis prohibition
. "If this article and its predecessors from 2000
and 1974 were the only evidence of the suppression of
medical cannabis, then one might perhaps be able to
rationalize it in some herniated way. However, there
really is massive
proof that the suppression of medical cannabis represents
the greatest failure of the institutions of a free society,
medicine, journalism, science, and our fundamental values,"
Cowan notes.
Millions of people have died horrible deaths and in
many cases, familes exhausted their savings on dangerous,
toxic and expensive drugs. Now we are just beginning
to realize that while marijuana has never killed anyone,
marijuana prohibition has killed millions.
Copyright 2004 The Sierra Times
|
Your Feedback is Welcome Below
|
|
Latest News Posted
as of 8:02 PST
on Feb 6, 2004:
Middle_East:
Wanted militant takes refuge in Saudi mosque
Posted 7:50 - 02.06.04
Middle_East:
Israeli PM quizzed over corruption probe
Posted 7:48 - 02.06.04
Middle_East:
$5 million to find Gaza convoy attackers
Posted 7:43 - 02.06.04
Middle_East:
Jabali survives assassination bid in Gaza HQ
Posted 7:42 - 02.06.04
Middle_East:
Scores inquire about Al Sistani’s health as officials deny reports of assassination attempt
Posted 7:37 - 02.06.04
Click on the Book
for More Details
Order Book Here
|
