By: Alexandria Addesso
Cannabis has been utilized for medical purposes for thousands of years. Yet in many counties throughout the world it is still viewed as an illegal drug. In the United States cannabis on the federal level is listed as a Schedule 1 drug, classifying it as having “high potential for abuse and no known medical use,” even though it is legal for medicinal use in 25 states and recreational use in four states plus Washington DC.
While marijuana has been known to cure many illnesses from insomnia to depression to pms, one of its most significant uses in a treatment being studied for quite some time is with cancer. According to cancer.gov, tests have shown that the use of cannabinoid oils helped lessen or eliminate nausea, loss of appetite, and pain management better than more conventional pharmaceutical drugs. Oncologists are more likely to recommend or prescribe cannabis to their patients than any other types of physicians, but usually always in conjunction with more “conventional” treatments.
But the real question that needs to be answered is whether or not cannabis can be used to treat and cure cancer itself and not just it’s side effects? Cannabinoids are known to possess antitumor properties and be successful in limiting inflammation, cell proliferation, and cell survival. Yet not all cannabinoids come from the marijuana plant, there are also types that come from the human endorphin system as well synthetically made cannabinoids. Cannabidiol (CBD) makes up 40 percent of the cannabinoids extracted from the cannabis plant and is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical in cannabis that, according to cancer.gov, is effective in shrinking tumors. Yet most if not all studies suggest that treatment for cancer using marijuana should be paired with other treatments such as chemotherapy to be most effective.
Even though studies have yet to deem cannabis as the cure-all for cancer, it has definitely been shown to be very effective. So why isn’t it legal for cancer treatment across the board? Pharmaceutical companies have too much to lose on patents on cancer drugs that have long been on the market. Being that there is still such a surging black market for cannabis, even in the extremely pure and medically useful distilled oil form, capitalism has too much to lose. Even those vendors in the cannabis industry legally pose a threat to big pharm being that most are locally owned business.
The bottom-line is, greed kills.
Cannabis has been utilized for medical purposes for thousands of years. Yet in many counties throughout the world it is still viewed as an illegal drug. In the United States cannabis on the federal level is listed as a Schedule 1 drug, classifying it as having “high potential for abuse and no known medical use,” even though it is legal for medicinal use in 25 states and recreational use in four states plus Washington DC.
While marijuana has been known to cure many illnesses from insomnia to depression to pms, one of its most significant uses in a treatment being studied for quite some time is with cancer. According to cancer.gov, tests have shown that the use of cannabinoid oils helped lessen or eliminate nausea, loss of appetite, and pain management better than more conventional pharmaceutical drugs. Oncologists are more likely to recommend or prescribe cannabis to their patients than any other types of physicians, but usually always in conjunction with more “conventional” treatments.
But the real question that needs to be answered is whether or not cannabis can be used to treat and cure cancer itself and not just it’s side effects? Cannabinoids are known to possess antitumor properties and be successful in limiting inflammation, cell proliferation, and cell survival. Yet not all cannabinoids come from the marijuana plant, there are also types that come from the human endorphin system as well synthetically made cannabinoids. Cannabidiol (CBD) makes up 40 percent of the cannabinoids extracted from the cannabis plant and is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical in cannabis that, according to cancer.gov, is effective in shrinking tumors. Yet most if not all studies suggest that treatment for cancer using marijuana should be paired with other treatments such as chemotherapy to be most effective.
Even though studies have yet to deem cannabis as the cure-all for cancer, it has definitely been shown to be very effective. So why isn’t it legal for cancer treatment across the board? Pharmaceutical companies have too much to lose on patents on cancer drugs that have long been on the market. Being that there is still such a surging black market for cannabis, even in the extremely pure and medically useful distilled oil form, capitalism has too much to lose. Even those vendors in the cannabis industry legally pose a threat to big pharm being that most are locally owned business.
The bottom-line is, greed kills.
