Cannabis And Cancer Treatment – scientists have discovered many biologically active constituents in marijuana called cannabinoids. The two most examined constituents substances are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Marijuana refers to dried buds and leaves of the diversity of the Cannabis sativa plant. It grows in tropical climates in the world. It has many names; grass, weed, hemp, cannabis, hash, marihuana, ganja, and many others. Marijuana has on many occasions been used as an herbal remedy for many years.
Cancer doesn’t respect any color or race, young or old, whether you live in an executive apartment or a shantytown. During diagnosis, our hopes are to get the best treatment and make the most of our survival chances.
How far away are we from attaining the solid scientific confirmation to persuade doctors that cannabis is serious anticancer management?
Why Do We Have So Few Clinical Trials?
The only way for a drug to reach the oncologists’ anticancer weapon store is for it to effectively undergo panacea. These are, scientific trials investigating security, dosage, and effectiveness.
It is now thirteen years since the first pilot study was done by Professor Manuel Guzman and his group at the Complutense University in Madrid. They examined the security and anti-tumor reaction of THC on a small cluster of patients. These are recurring glioblastoma, an antagonistic form of brain cancer and the outcome was very encouraging.
According to Guzman, Cancer is a complex disease. From a histological point of view, there are 150 diferent cancer types. Hundreds of thousands came from molecular or hereditary profile. Therefore, when we talk about cannabis management for cancer, first we must describe the type of cancer we are treating. This is because it is unlikely that an exclusive material like cannabis will be efficient in all types of cancer.
Currently, all cannabis-based scientific experiments have been paying attention to patients with glioblastoma. GW Pharmaceuticals followed up Guzman’s first examination stage I/II trial using Sativex, a 1:1 THC: CBD sublingual tincture, and temozolomide. This is the normal chemotherapy management for glioblastoma.
According to a 2017 GW Pharma publication, managing a mixture of Sativex and temozolomide improved 1-year survival by 30%. This enhanced the median survival to 550 days from 369 days with temozolomide alone.
GW Study | The Only Experiment Conducted on Cannabinoids
The GW study is the initial and the only experiment conducted on cannabinoids and cancer that is more robust. Besides, it is controlled by a placebo and is indiscriminate. Besides, it is a double-blind experiment in which no one understands whether the patient is taking Sativex or the placebo.
This experiment was also hopeful. It has improved our confidence that maybe cannabinoids drugs could have an anti-tumor result in glioblastoma and the deteriorating phase. But there is very little scientific information only for a particular cancer type. I anticipate treating other cancers using cannabinoids in the framework of a restricted scientific trial.
Two additional phases II glioblastoma scientific studies are also about to begin. This time, Guzman’s group will be investigating whether a 1:1 THC: CBD ratio. This will be merged with conventional cancer treatment is successful as initial line treatment as opposed to a relapsing state. Besides, an Australian study examining the acceptability of diverse cannabinoids mixtures together with chemo, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy is engaging.
Cannabis And Cancer Treatment | Slow Progress – Pharma’s Role
Despite the scientific findings, development is slow considering the time scientists have researched the anti-tumor power in the cannabis plant.
Scientific research on cannabinoids is complex because THC is restricted by the United Nations. Therefore, it is subjected to extremely physically powerful restrictions in production, manufacturing, and exportation. That means scores of clinicians and investors get scared. They don’t want to be involved in much bureaucracy as they prefer substances that aren’t categorized as schedule 1. Generally speaking, the bar is set for cannabinoids scientific trials are much elevated than for other materials.
The prominent deficiency of pharmaceutical corporations in cannabis-based medicine improvement may be gripping up development. Scientific trials are restricted by Big Pharma companies with bigger financial resources. Ideally, Pharma companies won’t make any progress in any field except they have the likelihood of protecting their products. Therefore, research on cannabis complex because cannabinoids are natural products.
One way to find the way of the intellectual property predicament is to focus on uncommon conditions with an orphan status. Manufacturing orphan diseases drug could be an easier way of gaining FDA approval while enjoying incentives like tax breaks. On the other hand, orphan status allows for un-patentable substances like secluded cannabinoids to be awarded uniqueness. Therefore, it is probably the rationale why companies like GW Pharmaceuticals are focusing on uncommon cancers like glioblastoma.
According to Guzman, essentially the whole cannabis field is exploited with GW patents. When a fresh company gains interest in the field, it provides a first impression of the patent state of affairs. In most cases, they leave after realizing that everything is fundamentally restricted by GW Pharma. They have been intellectual in that aspect. Besides, they are essentially the owners of all the intellectual property rights, current rights, and potential rights in this field.
Common Sense Strategy for Cancer Patients Consuming Cannabis
Long-term decisions made in medical company boardrooms freezing the expansion of cannabinoid-based anticancer drugs imply patients have limited substitutes. However, to think about how they can source their cannabis oil despite all the complexities that are involved. Due to the life-or-death risks involved, Guzman doesn’t envy someone’s resolution to take cannabis oil for cancer. But he believes that the decision of a patient must be guided by common sense.
In the first trial of a homogeneous product, Guzman believes one must understand the quantity of THC and CBD present. There are many varieties of cannabis available in the world. Therefore, try to understand how much THC, CBD, as well as other famous active components, are present in the product.
If you take cannabis oil as a treatment medium, understand that the oil has been manufactured with high-quality agricultural practices. Besides, it is not tainted by many kinds of poisonous substances: natural solvent filtrates, heavy metals, pesticides, and molds.
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I would incorporate a rule of administration beginning with very little, growing over three or four weeks. This continues until one attains a typical dosage that is well accepted and at least explicitly resourceful. Secondly, mix THC and CBD, beginning with additional CBD and then add THC to create an absolute balanced preparation. It is recommended that you get a ratio of 1:5; THC: CBD.
Thirdly, cannabinoids build up in the body since they are very lipophilic. Therefore, I support the idea of considering some wash-out periods occasionally when THC is extracted. I would recommend three weeks of cannabis plus four or five days of wash-out. This allows time for CB1 (cannabinoids) receptors to be re-sensitized.
Cannabis And Cancer Treatment | Patients Should Share Accountability for Regularizing It
Many patients feel uncomfortable when asked whether or not to inform their oncologist about consuming cannabis for cancer treatment. Sharing information with doctors is not only a matter of security but a key way of raising consciousness about cannabis. Read more about cannabinoids!
Patients are very important players in this endeavor, and they must push for cannabis to get into the medicinal mainstream. Among the ways is merely to normalize its utilization by patients. Even though the physicians might react negatively, we must try.
Guzman asserted that before his retirement; he would like to understand the success of using cannabis in cancer treatment. There are some preclinical signs and very tiny clinical signs behind an anticancer result of cannabinoids.
We have must improve that by getting evidence from diverse sites. Case studies are reported by medical doctors about individual patients. They not only restricted scientific studies but also observational studies. We have diverse actors, and in total, we must work together, otherwise, it will turn out to be almost unattainable.