Over the last couple years, we’ve watched researchers unearth new evidence supporting marijuana’s therapeutic potential in various types of cancer, some of which include bladder cancer, glioma, leukemia, and breast cancer. Now researchers from China’s Guangzhou Medical University suspect that cannabis compounds could offer future treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer.
Researchers targeted affected cells with a synthetic cannabis-like compound and noticed inhibited growth of cancerous cells. Cannabinoid receptor agonists appeared to disrupt cell cycle regulation, leading scientists to believe that cannabinoid therapy could be the next possible treatment frontier for this deadly cancer.
“Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, however, only limited therapeutic treatments are available,” the study’s authors wrote. But questions still remain, such as how would results change with phytocannabinoids sourced from the plant itself? What results would we see in human trials?
Needless to say, this discovery adds to a growing body of research building a compelling case for cannabis as a target for cancer medicine. The U.S. government’s National Cancer Institute quietly acknowledged marijuana’s role in killing cancer cells, and the American Cancer Society has called for rescheduling of cannabis to better facilitate its research. Even the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) admitted that “marijuana can kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others.” Yes, NIDA, the federal research organization that has long touted the dangers of cannabis based on studies fixated on abuse.
So keep the studies coming, scientists of the world. We eagerly await your life-changing discoveries.
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