British Queen Victoria used it to relieve menstrual cramps, George Washington farmed it, and the Grateful Dead smoked it. Now, however, compounds from the cannabis plant are turning up in surprising new places—research labs—as scientists seek a solution to the second-most common cause of death for Americans: cancer.
Early studies are showing that chemical components found in marijuana have the potential to kill cancerous cells while leaving normal, healthy cells untouched. Such research inspired Santa Monica filmmaker Len Richmond’s What if Cannabis Cured Cancer, an hour-long film that delves into the plant’s history, research studies, and possible new medical applications. Dr. Andrew Weil calls the film “excellent” and writes, “Most medical doctors are not aware of this information and its implications for cancer prevention and treatment. The film presents compelling evidence that our current policy on cannabis is counterproductive and foolish.”
The Healing Herb
Cannabis has been used throughout human history for all sorts of healing purposes, both physical and spiritual, much as ayahuasca and peyote are used in various shamanic cultures today. Dr. Julie Holland notes in The Pot Book (Park Street Press, 2010) that charred hemp seeds have been found with other sacramental remnants that date back five thousand years.
In recorded history, cannabis has been widely valued for its medicinal attributes. However, despite widespread medical usage and support from the American Medical Association, in the 1930s–’60s the weed became first highly taxed, then banned. In 1970 it was assigned a drug classification of “no known medical use,” making it extremely difficult to study, other than in the context of an addictive recreational drug.
There is strong sentiment among marijuana supporters that studies showing the plant’s healing properties have been not just discouraged, but largely ignored. In recent years, however, researchers and doctors are seeing a change in attitude, as evidenced by the legalization of medical marijuana in several states. California’s proposition 215 was the first in 1996, and 13 other states have since followed. States that have legalized medical marijuana continue to be out of step with the federal government, which has not approved it.
The Cannabinoid Key
Through the centuries cannabis has been used as a painkiller and muscle relaxant. More recently it’s been found to stimulate appetite, reduce nausea and function as an anti-inflammatory, writes Holland. Because of these properties, it is often recommended for cancer patients going through chemotherapy, and for AIDS-related weight issues. There is also some evidence it has potential in combating Alzheimer’s disease and glaucoma, as well as reducing spasticity related to multiple sclerosis.
Richmond’s film suggests we are entering a new frontier in the use of medical marijuana, beyond merely improving symptoms. Drs. Donald Abrams and Manuel Guzman, who appear in the film, are authors of a chapter in Integrative Oncology (Oxford University Press, Inc., 2009). They explain that the active components in marijuana, called cannabinoids, create their effects by acting on the body’s natural endocannabinoid system. Tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, is the plant’s most studied (and psychoactive) cannabinoid, but there are more than 70 others as well, each with its own function. These compounds fit like a key into the body’s own endocannabinoid system, which helps to regulate many physiological processes such as appetite, memory, mood and pain sensation. The film suggests that the endocannabinoid system may also play a shielding role against cancer.
The anti-tumoral effect of marijuana has been cited in studies that were searching for a link between smoking marijuana and lung cancer. Researchers agree that marijuana smoke, like tobacco, has carcinogens and can create precancerous growths. But unlike tobacco smokers, marijuana smokers have not been found to have significantly higher lung cancer rates. Abrams and Guzman cite a Kaiser Permanente study in which more than 64,000 males, ages 15–49, were followed for 14 years. In this study it was found that tobacco users (with or without marijuana use) had a tenfold increase in developing lung cancer, while the nonsmokers and the “only-marijuana” smokers had no shown increase. Two (a very low number statistically) of the nonsmokers developed lung cancer, but the surprising result was that none of the marijuana smokers did, suggesting that cannabis could have some sort of protective effect.
Budding Potential
Guzman’s team at the University of Madrid is one of the leaders in studying how marijuana’s compounds affect cancer cells, including tumors in the brain, breast, prostate, skin, lung and thyroid. He states in the film, “We have observed that cannabinoids have the effect of inducing death in cancer cells….They actually reduce the growth of tumors.” Abrams and Guzman observed that the plant’s cannabinoids appear to be selective as they kill cancerous cells, while seemingly protecting normal, healthy cells.
But when it comes to administering cannabis to patients to fight cancer, the research is still in its infancy. In a study published in 2006, Guzman’s team was the first to lead a human trial in which patients with aggressive brain cancer had THC injected directly into the tumor. The results showed that the drug might have some efficacy, but because of the small sample size, researchers cannot make broad generalizations. The significance was that it opened the door for other researchers to study cannabinoids with cancer patients.
Dr. Sean McAllister, a science researcher at the California Pacific Medical Center, is one of those applying to lead a human trial. He has had two preclinical studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His first study, now complete, shows promising anti-tumoral potential for THC and its non-psychotropic sister cannabidiol (CBD) in brain and breast cancers. He’s hoping to apply these findings to a human trial to test CBD’s effect on metastasized breast cancer, and then on other aggressive cancers.
Bringing It Home
When asked why he made this film, Richmond explains that cancer runs strong in his family, and has killed nearly every relative. Like filmmaker Michael Moore, Richmond definitely has an opinion—in this case, that marijuana is a healing force. But although he sees cannabis as having great anti-cancer potential, he is also on the health bandwagon and endorses a healthy diet, lifestyle and meditation for avoiding and fighting cancer. He says, “I thought the message of marijuana was to ‘relax and enjoy.’” Borrowing from the LAPD’s motto, he adds, “Now I’ve come to realize that it’s also to ‘protect and serve.’”
In November, California voters will be deciding if they want to legalize marijuana for regulated general use, and for the sales tax revenue that would help fill our state’s depleted coffers. Regardless of the outcome, its legal status as a valid medical remedy will not change.
Resources
• What if Cannabis Cured Cancer is available through Amazon and lenrichmondfilms.com.
• The Pot Book (Park Street Press, 2010) by Dr. Julie Holland
• Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire (both book and film) includes an interesting summary of human interactions with the marijuana plant.
• Integrative Oncology (Oxford University Press, Inc., 2009), edited by Drs. Donald Abrams and Andrew Weil, presents an integrative approach to cancer treatment and prevention and includes a chapter on “Cannabinoids and Cancer” written by Drs. Donald Abrams and Manuel Guzman.
—Kristy Naylor Lund
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~ Indigenous Shamanism and Alternate Worlds
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