Federal Government Reports Marijuana Effective in Combatting Certain Cancers

KOMORN LAW

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To continue outlawing the use of a drug shown to have life-saving, anti-cancer benefits that has been used safely as a medication for thousands of years is irresponsible.”

By Michael Komorn

The following is a statement by Advocates for Disabled and Seriously Ill:

In a recent report, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), stated that marijuana “inhibited the survival of both estrogen receptor–positive and estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer cell lines.” The same report showed marijuana slows or stops the growth of certain lung cancer cells and suggested that marijuana may provide “risk reduction and treatment of colorectal cancer.”

Referring to the NCI report, Patient Rights attorney Matthew Pappas said, ”The Federal government’s continuing attack on people prescribed medical cannabis by their doctors is hypocritical considering the benefits reported by its own National Cancer Institute.”

Medical Marijuana patients contend that the Federal government and other municipalities are doing their best to prevent them from acquiring cannabis for medical purposes in direct contravention of state laws. “Cities that ban dispensaries are denying patients the ability to obtain a medicine the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health says fights cancer and they’re doing it with the Obama Administration’s help.”

The City of Los Angeles recently repealed its ban of Medical Marijuana collective after city councilman Bill Rosendahl was diagnosed with cancer and prescribed medical marijuana. Rosendahl said to fellow council members about the ban, “You want to kill me? You want to throw me under the bus?”

Additionally, the NCI report examined whether patients who smoke marijuana rather than ingesting it orally are exposed to a higher risk of lung and certain digestive system cancers. According to the government, 19 studies “failed to demonstrate statistically significant associations between marijuana inhalation and lung cancer.”

Within the contents of the report a separate study was identified where 611 lung cancer patients that revealed marijuana was “not associated with an increased risk of lung cancer or other upper aerodigestive tract cancers and found no positive associations with any cancer type.”

The National Cancer Institute also identified in the report a “study of intratumoral injection of delta-9-THC in patients with recurrent glioblastoma” that demonstrated tumor reduction in the test participants.

Pappas said that despite the Federal government sanctioned and authorized NCI report, Congress and the Obama Administration have continued to thwart marijuana research. In a proclaimed effort to undermine state medical marijuana laws, the Office of National Drug Control Policy described “medical” marijuana as a “myth” fueling “troubling misconceptions” in documents found on its website. It appears that the Federal government’s concern lies in creating more chemical drugs, many of which are the subject of various attorney television commercials seeking out those adversely impacted by those drugs.

It is Pappas’ belief that the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Office of National Drug Control Policy continue to assert marijuana is void of medicinal value despite the overwhelming research showing cannabis reduced certain cancer risks and inhibits the growth of tumor cells. Ultimately, the Federal government’s anti-marijuana position contributes to and encourages prejudice and public misconception about the legitimate use of medical cannabis as viable treatment for seriously ill patients.

Separate research reported marijuana appears to have “profound nerve-protective and brain-enhancing properties that could potentially treat many neurodegenerative disorders.” In its report, the National Cancer Institute stated cannabis effectively treats insomnia and referenced a placebo-controlled study in cancer patients showing increased quality of sleep and relaxation in those treated with tetrahydrocannabinol, an active component in marijuana.

To continue outlawing the use of a drug shown to have life-saving, anti-cancer benefits that has been used safely as a medication for thousands of years is irresponsible.”

Federal Government Reports Marijuana Effective in Combatting Certain Cancers

KOMORN LAW

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