[namkha]

Non-Psychotropic Plant Cannabinoids Counteract Prostate Cancer Growth
http://blog.norml.or...-cancer-growth/
May 23, 2012

[Editor's note: This post is excerpted from this week's forthcoming NORML weekly media advisory. To have NORML's news alerts and legislative advisories delivered straight to your in-box, sign up here.]

The administration of non-psychotropic plant cannabinoids, in particular cannabidiol (CBD), inhibit proliferation and selectively trigger cell suicide of prostate carcinoma, according to preclinical data to be published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. (Read the study abstract online here.)

An international team of investigators from Italy and the United Kingdom assessed the anti-cancer properties of various non-psychoactive synthetic and botanical cannabinoids, including CBD, CBG (cannabigerol), CBN (cannabinol) and THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin), in vivo and in vitro (in culture).

Researchers reported, “The … data presented here allow us to suggest that non-THC cannabinoids, and CBD in particular, retard proliferation and cause apoptosis (programmed cell death) of prostate carcinoma growth via a combination of cannabinoid receptor-independent cellular and molecular mechanisms. … We suggest that non-THC cannabinoids … might provide the basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of prostate carcinoma.”

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in American males, trailing only behind lung cancer.

Authors of the study concluded, “[T]he effects reported here, together with previously reported cannabinoid receptor-mediated effects of THC on PCCs (prostate carcinoma cells), might provide momentum to clinical studies on cannabinoids and cannabis extracts as a therapy for human prostate carcinoma, either in addition to currently used treatments, or as stand alones, as suggested also by our present in vivo data.”

A separate study of cannabinoids on prostate cancer published in the present edition of the Indian Journal of Neurology also concluded, “Prostate cancer cells possess increased expression of both cannabinoid 1 and 2 receptors, and stimulation of these results in decrease in cell viability, increased apoptosis, and decreased androgen receptor expression and prostate-specific antigen excretion. … It is our conclusion that it would be of interest to conduct clinical trials involving medicinal cannabis or other cannabinoid agonists, comparing clinical markers such as PSA with controls, especially in men with bone metastatic prostate cancer, whom would not only benefit from the possible anti-androgenic effects of cannabinoids but also from analgesia of bone pain, improving quality of life, while reducing narcotic consumption and preventing opioid dependence.”

Cannabinoids and endocannabinoids have been consistently shown to be potent anti-cancer inhibitors in preclinical models, halting the proliferation of glioma cells, breast carcinoma, lung carcinoma, and lymphoma, among other cancer cell lines. NORML’s literature review of this data appears here.

Full text of the study, “Non-THC cannabinoids counteract prostate carcinoma growth in vitro and in vivo: pro-apoptotic effects and underlying mechanisms,” will appear in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

[wildbill]

Thanks for posting namkha, interesting reading.

If I have enterpreted this correctly, it is not saying that THC is useless in fighting cancer, but that THC has been widely evaluated whereas these compounds have not.

So from the point of view of someone selecting a strain to treat a cancer patient, a high CBD strain would be useful but not essential.

So in my case, Master Kush would be a reasonable choice rather than a strain which is noted for it's high CBD content eg CBD crew, landrace varieties.

Have I got the right idea?

[namkha]

Hi B.Wild,

the info is only specific to prostate cancer (that's not to say it doesn't apply to other types, but just that the research here was confined to prostate cancer)

what I've taken from this is that if you have prostate cancer it would be very useful to use a strain/oil with CBD in

a 1:1 THC:CBD type oil would be good, I'm guessing, as it says that the cancer cells in prostate cancer have both types of receptors --- the ones that are activated by THC and the ones that are activated by CBD (or THCV, CBN, CBG etc.)

basically the info in the article is saying that CBD, CBN, THCV, and CBG will all trigger prostate cancer cells to kill themselves

the evidence is accumulating that THC also does this

for some independent evidence, check out Danzig's Cannabis Oil thread, and Iky's experiences

Operation Cannabis Oil
http://www.uk420.com...pic=286326&st=0

suppositories are a very effective way to administer THC, CBD etc. --- they should be a very effective way to treat prostate cancer

This post has been edited by namkha: 26 May 2012 - 09:04 AM

[wildbill]

Many thanks namkha,I have trouble picking the relevant info from written material sometimes.

Danzig's thread is where I got the idea of using Master Kush, also remember that he has used this strain before "medically".

Looks like I need to do some research...

[nibblebit]

N1 Nam.

Another nail in the coffin of the 'consensus' viewpoint.


nibs.

[namkha]

hey

in the current Cannabis Oil thread Danzig has some oil from some old (was it 3 years old?) Master Kush

you'd expect a significant amount of the THC to have degraded to CBN by now

it looks like CBN also has excellent medical potential

---

about Master Kush... does it have significant CBD?

I wouldn't expect any strain that has been significantly bred for potency to have much CBD, even if it has 'indica' parentage

I'd expect it to just be high THC like most 'western' bred strains

[wildbill]

Sorry for the delay in replying namkha, but I have been "up to my neck in it".

As far as I can find out Master Kush has minimal CBD, about 0.5% perhaps. Although budg*nius list one dispensary selling master kush which tested as 16% THC 12% CBD

Good point about the CBN namkha, hadn't though of that. If I don't use a CBD rich strain, I could leave it to be a little over ripe for a little CBN anyway.

Unfortunately the only available CBD crew indoor stock at the moment seems to be skunk haze. A bit of an unknown esp in terms of height (described as "tall"), and I only have perhaps 36" at best (excluding pots).

e2a: Unfortunately, it looks like there won't be enough time to grow a crop, as the cancer is spreading fast . I might just give it a go anyway, as I hate the feeling that I'm not trying to help in any way I can. Not really in a position to decide right now .

[namkha]

Hi

for what it's worth, if I was needing to get hold of CBD rich cannabis urgently, then the best thing I could think to do would be to get hold of some imported hash

just basic Moroccan should be fine, as long as it is clean

the average THC for imported hash in recent year is something like 5.5% THC... you'd expect CBD to average something similar

obviously there's no easy way of knowing exactly how much CBD is there, but in 99% of imported hash it is very, very likely it will be there - and likely that it will be there in a medicinally useful quantity

This post has been edited by namkha: 02 June 2012 - 10:29 AM

[wildbill]

Good idea namkha, can't see me being able to arrange that where I live without getting jailed -but I will ruminate on it.

I'm not thinking very clearly so your suggestions are very much appreciated . Thank you so much.