New Study Reveals That Cannabinoids Help Chemotherapy Patients Treat Cancer

While cannabis is well-known for alleviating symptoms of cancer treatment, it can also kill cancer cells in conjunction with traditional treatment. A British study has given new insight for the best practices combining traditional and cannabis treatments when dealing with cancer.

The study, which was published in the International Journal of Oncology, found that using cannabinoids, especially when paired with chemotherapy treatments, killed leukemia cells.

Cannabinoids were found to have anti-cancer properties in several ways, including killing cancer cells and preventing growth of tumors. These affects were found in every type of cancer tested. They also found cannabinoids which can help prevent tumors from forming or spreading.

Th study found that cannabis has anti-tumor-forming properties when the CB receptors are stimulated. Tetrahydrocannabinol, most well-known for its hallucinogenic, recreational properties, is one of the cannabinoids that were found to kill cancer cells by using the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system. Cannabidiol, the focus of CBD products, was shown to kill cancer cells as well, working independently of CB1 and CB2 receptors.

Cannabis is currently used to alleviate the pain and nausea associated with chemotherapy treatment. The study found that the use of cannabis after an initial chemotherapy treatment helped kill cells and also stopped new ones from growing. However, they noted that smoking cannabis was not affected, stating the extracts was highly concentrated.

“These extracts are highly concentrated and purified, so smoking marijuana will not have a similar effect,” said Dr. Wai Liu of St. George’s, University of London, who led the study. “But cannabinoids are a very exciting prospect in oncology, and studies such as ours serve to establish the best ways that they should be used to maximise a therapeutic effect.”