The US government finally admits that cannabis kills cancer cells

Long a subject of controversy, the debate over the benefits of cannabis in the fight against cancer appears to be reaching a positive conclusion: American scientists have just acknowledged that Cannabis kills cancer cells.

The study of the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, concludes that marijuana use, whether smoked, ingested, or administered as a spray, inhibits tumor growth by killing cancer cells, blocking the blood vessels the tumor needs to spread, and thereby halting its proliferation. Cannabis is thus believed to be effective in treating colon, liver, and breast cancers, as well as several other forms of the disease.

The study was conducted on mice, and no clinical trials have been conducted on humans to develop a cancer treatment. Cannabinoids (THC or CBD) have, however, been found to be effective in relieving chemotherapy side effects such as nausea and vomiting, stimulating appetite, relieving pain, reducing anxiety, and promoting sleep, while also enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

The Food and Drug Administration has so far approved two drugs based on cannabinoids for cancer patients. France, for its part, has approved Sativex for patients with multiple sclerosis, but has still not been able to agree on a retail price, which, tragically, is blocking the drug’s release onto the market. The various Decriminalization of cannabis in Europe and the findings of the NCI study could help move things forward.