In 2009, a study was released out of Contumplense University in Madrid that yielded some astonishing evidence about THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. Health experts have thought for some time that THC played an important role in staving off the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease. The study in Spain, as reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed that cancer patients have more to gain from medical marijuana than mere nausea alleviation or increased appetite.
Study After Study
The study showed that highly aggressive brain tumors in two different patients showed signs of autophagy (digestion of cellular constituents by enzymes of the same cell) after exposure to THC. In other words, the drug caused the tumors to eat themselves. This comes on the heels of a 2007 study out of Harvard University that showed marijuana (in smoke form) could cut the growth of lung tumors in mice by as much as half.
Pills Aren’t The Answer
Any time a study shows that marijuana may actually be beneficial to one’s health, the Just Say No crowd rushes in with their misguided notion that THC can be taken in the form of a pill. The pharmaceutical industry begs to differ, it appears, as four major companies have stopped work on THC pills. It turns out that, in pill form, these medications have alarming side-effects such as depression or suicidal thoughts.
The best way to take in THC is the old-fashioned way, by burning or vaporizing matter from the marijuana plant. With that in mind, most health professionals would likely recommend their patients use either a vaporizer or a bong to take in their smoke. More studies are under way, hoping to prove that cannabis does a lot more than just make you feel good.