Does Marijuana Cause Cancer? Research Says Marijuana Fights CancerLisa Garber You might remember Cash Hyde, the 3-year-old boy from Montana diagnosed with brain cancer but who beat it with his father Mikes help and marijuana oil. Well, Hydes case isnt the only one revealing the positive relationship between marijuana and cancer. Does Marijuana Cause Cancer? THC as Therapy In 1998, Cristina Sanchez of Complutense University in Madrid reported in a European biochemistry journal that THCthe famed psychoactive component in marijuanainduces apoptosis [cell death] in C6 glioma cells, which are a type of brain cancer. Lead author of another study and Harvard University researcher Anju Preet says, THC can have a potential therapeutic role. His findings, presented in a 2007 American Association for Cancer Research in Los Angeles, showed that THC has a direct antitumoral effect. The first clinical trial studying THCs antitumoral effect on humans was conducted by Manuel Guzman and his team of Spanish scientists. Guzman administered THC to nine patients who had not responded to traditional brain cancer therapies for the study. As published in a 2006 issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, tumor cell proliferation reduced in response to THC administration through a catheter showing the medical benefits of marijuana. Another Harvard study reports that THC slows lung cancer progress. Moreover, unlike chemotherapy which damages all cellshealthy or cancerousTHC specifically destroyed tumoral cells without harming healthy ones. In another study published in the Journal of American Medical Association, spanning from 1985 to 2006, over 5,000 men and women smoked about one joint daily for seven years. Co-author Stefan Kertesz found that subjects, rather than having damaged lungs, showed increases in lung air flow rates. Surprising findings indeed. With backing from the National Institute of Health, Dr. Sean McAllister conducted a study and found that cannabidiol inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and tumor growth. McAllister researched cancers relationship to the ID-1 genea protein active during embryonic development but, in healthy subjects, turns and stays off. In the case of breast cancer patients, the gene turns back on, which causes malignant cells to metastasize. In the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, McAllister wrote that cannabidiol switches off the genes expression. McAllister found that cannabidiol can even work alongside standard chemotherapy treatments by performing synergistically with pharmaceuticals. This means that maximum, toxic doses dont have to be administered. Despite accusations that marijuana smoking can compromise the immune system, mountains of research indicate that the plant has more to offer than a high. More studies are undoubtedly in the works. In this research, Manuel Guzman located in Madrid, Spain discovered that cannabinoids substantially inhibit the growth of tumors in a variety of lab animals. In the study he also found that not one of these tested animals endured any kind of side effects seen in many similar chemotherapy treatments. If all of the research doesnt appeal to you, then maybe the 2,500 total studied patients throughout these 37 controlled studies may. None of the patients reported any kind of adverse side effects from the use of THC and based medication further adding to the benefits of medical marijuana and strengthening the positive connection between marijuana and cancer. So, does marijuana cause cancer, or does it fight cancer? Additional Sources: Explore More: This article first appeared at Natural Society, an excellent resource for health news and vaccine information. 