There appears to be the possibility that when cannabinoids are used they can activate signaling pathways in cancer cells and stimulate a cell death mechanism called apoptosis and unleash a potent anti-tumour effect.
(image credit Wikimedia Commons)
The caution for this news is that although cannabinoids have shown strong activity against human tumor tissue grown in animal models they have undergone a limited amount of actual testing in human patients (The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM)).
The mechanisms of anticancer activity of cannabinoids were reviewed by the researchers who discussed the similarities and differences between exogenous (outside sourced i.e. plant-derived) and endogenous (inside sourced i.e. by your body) cannabinoids. They assessed the anti-tumor effects of these compounds and considered the possible adjuvant properties of cannabinoids in cancer treatment (an adjuvant is a pharmacological or immunological agent that modifies the effect of other agents.).
"Although medical cannabis is well-supported in the literature for symptom reduction from cancer treatment or the disease itself, there are many claims that cannabis can treat cancer itself. So far, this is based on only a handful of small human studies, anecdote, or laboratory research. This article nicely summarizes some of the work done in the lab for an understanding of cannabis' potential anti-cancer mechanisms, while pointing to the paucity of human trials. Federal rescheduling of cannabis is critical so we can study its effects in humans and determine cannabis' direct or indirect effects on cancer cells." - Dr. Leslie Mendoza Temple, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine .