Cannabis Science: How Marijuana Affects Health

Cannabis Science: How Marijuana Affects Health

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Dozens of major studies have been published in the last few years that indicate that the chemicals in cannabis in the lab and in animals have a significant effect on fighting almost all major cancers, including brain, breast, prostate, lung, thyroid, colon, skin, pituitary, melanoma and leukemia cancers. They do this by promoting the death of cancer cells that have forgotten how to die, as well as a reduction in their crucial blood supply, while leaving healthy cells untouched.

But why, you may wonder, would cannabis have any effect on cancer? The answer can be explained in one word - endocannabinoids. Amazing as it sounds we're all born with a form of cannabis already in our bodies. It's called the Endocannabinoid System. The Endocannabinoid System, or ECS, influences multiple physiological processes. This intricate system modulates energy intake as well as nutrient transport, metabolism and storage.

A completely natural collection of compounds, endocannabinoids are our body's own form of marijuana and are involved in most of our cells and structures. They control a variety of functions in the nervous system, heart, reproductive and immune systems. Endocannabinoid messengers help the cells communicate. Typically they protect our good cells while killing the bad ones like cancer cells.

In all animals the nervous system is made of the same components - large numbers of nerve cells carrying electrical signals. And wherever the cells meet these signals are passed to a receptor in the next cell by a chemical messenger called a neurotransmitter. Inside the brain there are different types of neurotransmitters including dopamine and serotonin. All animals from rodents to fish, to elephants, to humans have inherited this basic structure, but hundreds of millions of years ago some primitive invertebrates evolved an innovation to this system.

What happened was that nervous system acquired a new chemical related in structure to the chemical found in cannabis. Because of this similarity these new signals came to be known as cannabinoids. It was inevitable that eventually cannabis would meet its perfect partner - us.

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Robin
Robin
2 years ago

100% accurate!!

Tyrone
Tyrone
3 years ago

I've smoked weed since I was 14 and now 55. All types of strains and edibles. Yes they each have a different effect. Through my experiences the only thing that happens is that you get the serious munchies, if it's any good.
I also trained in the marital arts. Chinese kung fu since the age of 13. With all the training I've done. I've taken my body to the limit. Learning drunken monkey, I was always in pain. My teacher drank, I didnt. I smoked instead. If you drink, you get drunk. Your reactions are slowed down to a crawl. You cant focus. While on weed I was more focused. I dont like alcohol, never did. The taste, the feeling and last but least, the hangover. With weed, you have none of that. For me id take weed over any liquor, and any pills. Trust me if you have any ailments. Do some research. There is a strain that can reduced or even diminish the pains you are going through.

Brian Jacobsen
Brian Jacobsen
6 years ago

To all people who made bad comments about weed. I crushed two vertebrae t8 t7 weed has helped me greatly with pain it helps a lot of people. It's not for everyone some people's chemistry gives them adverts effects. But you should not condemn weed .I trust it more than bullshit opioids .

shaun
shaun
6 years ago

christo also sit down.

shaun
shaun
6 years ago

a_no_n you should stay anon. clueless

Artemis2318
Artemis2318
7 years ago

All medications have their side effects and marijuana is not an exemption to that. But which side effect would you like? Most prescription medications pose risk of damaging the liver and kidneys. Marijuana's side effects are mind-altering but only temporary. I'd likely prefer the short term side effects rather than the long-term and irreversible effects.

whitewidow
whitewidow
8 years ago

So this doesn't actually matter since it probably a dead topic but for myself mostly I need to put out there as someone who has Bipolar disorder that EVERY medication has side affects. Mostly the ones put out by human hands, like my favorite pill right now for mood stabilization Lithium. The side affects for lithium are extensive and if too much is in my system or I eat too much starch is actually deadly. Sooooo....yeah...To hate on cannabis for being mildly addictive, little to no side affects from "withdrawal" and the propaganda and hate that has been piled on it so the government can keep making money on people like me with mental disorders and physical ailments with their treatments is kinda silly to me. While I agree that cannabis is amazing, I also agree that it like any other medication has it's side affects. One of them happens to be fun!

Guest
Guest
9 years ago

HEY MAN! You ran out of lies so post an article link full of lies. At least be creative an invent a new one. Or make something good to yourself and accept the truth about medical cannabis. We as humans part of nature must to find the answers and well being in that we are part, nature. Actions and decisions just for profit hurts us seriously, and its the responsible of our decreasement as a spice.
I wish you find the right way man. Greetings.

Chris O'Neill
Chris O'Neill
9 years ago

40 years a user with no ill effects. happily married and gainfully employed for all that time. Stopped smoking ten years ago and manage nicely with home made cookies. I have only ever used resin, which has a low THC content and in my opinion is a far less insidious drug than alcohol. It's time they legalised cannabis and used the profit from VAT to build schools and hospitals instead of affording a film star lifestyle to criminals and gangsters

Je Suis
Je Suis
9 years ago

The use of recreational drugs that affects or interferes with the individuals self consciousness, the I-ness, the id or the ego .
The nature of subjective experience has been altered in some way or form. It is this binding power of the consciousness that produces the self to copy and emulate, to know right from wrong. The transition from pre consciousness to consciousness is altered during the partaking of recreational drugs. The non-computability and free will is being jeopardized..

Qualia occurs in the micro tubules of neurons.

The subtle damage is in the moment awareness is altered and anyone may think all is well but there is neuronal damage done. When the instrument of consciousness has been so abused their is no or little realty.

DrJack37
DrJack37
9 years ago

How interesting that the human body includes not only healing cannabinoids but also naturally contains and depends on another forbidden drug, DMT, which is needed for dreaming...

VI Empress
VI Empress
10 years ago

I have smoked weed for a while and i have never had any problems quitting cold turkey. As a matter of fact i dont even crave it i have stopped smoking for over a yr now and i only stopped because of the career i chose. Am not saying that it is all good every thing has its side effects but weeds side effects are way better than the pills that are legal for use which may cause death which is labeled on the bottle. Marijuana has many medical uses that they are now finding out as they research

Je Suis
Je Suis
10 years ago

A less conscious human being is going to be subjected by various forces of life situations and if they be negative they can have disastrous consequences for them. Why would I want to encourage any individual to become less conscious unless I have some use for them when they are? I can only see this being used and abused by someone wanting power over someone else. The same applies to alcohol or ay other drug use.
I would stress that a more conscious human being is the way forward.

Knowing what one is doing thinking etc of the body so that it is not harmed in such a way that it becomes so abused.

Je Suis
Je Suis
10 years ago

Taking any drug that makes the individual less conscious of the present moment canot be seen as helping anyone. Such drugs should not only be banned for safe guarding the individual but be discouraged from an early age not encouraged. There is a lot of harm that can be done to anyone who loses just a small bit of the present moment.

G Vieira
G Vieira
10 years ago

For heavy smokers of high grade marijuana (high THC content) the withdrawal symptoms are very serious and take months to go away. Depersonalization, panic, can´t eat, paranoia, muscle pain, headaches, tachicardia, alterations in body temperature (hot/cold), night sweats and vivid nightmares, insomnia, blurred vision, extreme anxiety mixed with lethargy.
Hard to believe?! That´s because the potency in marijuana is very high today in many places so more and more people are having more severe withdrawals.
What relaxes in marijuana is not THC. THC creates tension, anxiety, euforia and hallucinations/psychotic symptoms. What gives stress relief are CBD and CBN which are sedatives and counteract the phychotic symptoms of THC.
Today marijuana is very high in THC but has very low CBD and CBN level. This turns the problem worse.
Marijuana is a complex drug, the addiction is complex and the withdrawals are complex too and goes in waves.
People who smoke low or mid grade marijuana are not undertanding how hard the withdrawals can be for a heavy user of high grade.
Have in mind that a standard joint of normal weak weed has less than10 mgs of THC and a joint of high grade has something around 150 or 200 mgs of THC.

John Cury
John Cury
10 years ago

Feuding will not get us anyware, let us all sit down and
smoke the marijuana peace pipe.

And remember, a blunt a day keeps the doctor away

dufmor
dufmor
10 years ago

In that case, how the hell did Bob Marley manage to die from cancer. .....?

Harlan
Harlan
10 years ago

Isolating the chemicals and making them available in liquid or pill form is a great idea and it's already been done. What 99.99999% of the "Marijuana Cancer Cure" potheads want is the "right" to light up some dried plant matter and inhale toxic smoke into their lungs to be made legal so they can get high. They could care less about helping other people. It's all about them. Typical narcissistic liberals.

IndustryOfBlame
IndustryOfBlame
10 years ago

This documentary states the magic words "cancer cure", then attempts to impress its audience with medical jargon that only a small fraction of its wievers can understand, and lastly dishes out anecdote after anecdote.

To my knowledge, there are no peer-reviewed studies concluding that cannabis is an effective treatment for cancer in humans, and I'm not going to make any assumptions based on a couple of pilot studies in vitro and with animal models, no one who has an ounce of skepticism should.

I don't doubt that the plant has medicinal properties, nor that its political status as a harmful and thus necessarily illegal drug is pure nonsense, not to mention hindering to scientific progress. But I can't throw out basic scientific rationale for the sake of believing something to be true based on promising but inconclusive evidence.

Phillip
Phillip
10 years ago

My brother and sister use documentaries like this to excuse their addictions.
I know lots of people trying to quit smoking, realizing what it actually does to your memory, anxiety, mental health over all.
And I know lots of people who quit smoking who have realized its way better to be sober than to be high all the time.
Make a documentary about the bad effects, too, please, because kids are eating this up and its ruining their lives.

Hasib Faryabii
Hasib Faryabii
10 years ago

I feel the main issue lies in the prison and drug company lobbyists that won't let the government fully decriminalize marijuana, keep in mind legalizing marijuana would drastically decrease overall convictions and crime. Prisoners are dollar signs in the eyes of prisons. As for drug companies, well they make money off you being sick, so anything with any REAL healing properties are discounted as hearsay and wives tales. Its sad that we privatize things that the government should control, such as prisons, but instead the government chooses to control things they should have no say in, such as what we do to our own bodies.

Crab_Nebula
Crab_Nebula
10 years ago

Solve healthcare troubles with HERB! If your healthy and dont want to buy a healthcare plan, or can't afford it without quitting your herb habit, you would just by herb from a dispensary, and the profits go to pay your share into the HC system! Smokers ...Happy! Evreyone who need's care get's it! It's a win win. the MJ plan. Marijuannacare

dmxi
dmxi
10 years ago

at 1:06:20 in the narrator begs what illness cbd doesn't cure?
my answer is:" sour hearts in search of monetary issues!"

1concept1
1concept1
10 years ago

Just a thought; If they gave everyone in the US a joint to smoke and we all smoked it at once what a calming affect that would produce. Probably be a population surge in the next nine months? It should be a mandate to toke up first thing in the morning, I mean I'm just saying

oQ
oQ
10 years ago

I read somewhere someone comparing the legalization of marijuana and the legalization of same sex marriage. Both safe for humans, both none the business of government, both accelerating fast in being recognized by the mass as harmless.
Docs like this one have been a tool in propagating the truth about cannabis.
Why don't they let people enjoy the raw stuff while they play in their labs with the properties. Millions will be happy and many out of jail.

David B
David B
10 years ago

I completely agree with legalising cannabis, those who don't are either nieve, misinformed, or have financial interests with pharmaceutical companies, Looking at Tarquins comments to which I could come to no conclusion over seems he may write pharmaceutical journals,
I am but a philosophical man . and wish that government officials weren't so easily corrupted by medical money and there own ignorance , and allow freedom of choice for a natural herb that has never killed a living sole. i'm in my 50's not to incriminate myself would merely suggest that I have smoked joints for over 30 years although haven't had one for a few months at the moment am in good health never needed a doctor. so I put no strain on the health system.

Tyrone Ranson
Tyrone Ranson
10 years ago

from 4:00 is that music from waking life? im so sure it is.

a_no_n
a_no_n
10 years ago

"They do this by promoting the death of cancer cells that have forgotten
how to die, as well as a reduction in their crucial blood supply, while
leaving healthy cells untouched."

Um...excuse me? Where exactly is that suggested, and who by? Sorry but that is total bullsh1t. It is also not what current understanding suggests about cannabis.

Cannabis is recognised not as a treatment for cancer, but as a treatment for the side effects of Chemotherapy.
It does this by reducing the nausea and pain of Chemotherapy...By making Chemotherapy easier to go through it considerably increases the rate of success for that treatment.

What the documentary says about cannabanoids is technically correct...but it makes a lot of very strange conclusions about the resulting effects, Mistaking the effects of Chemotherapy for the effects of cannabis!

Nothing can "tell good cells from bad", otherwise your body would be able to deal with Cancer by itself.

The legalisation movement isn't helped one iota by misinformation about it's effects on cancer. It's an amazing enough plant as it is, there's no need to attach false magical properties to it, if anything cr4p like this severely hinders the legalisation process, and on top of that it takes advantage of desperate people suffering from a terrible disease for cheap political reasons!