At the same time more people are choosing to let their voices be heard about truths that they discovered by experience and that are amazingly beautiful and natural.
In this body report we have combined a deep look at the medical way and a natural way as a treatment for the illness we call cancer - and NUMEROUS other conditions So far, we have not run into a condition yet that has not been helped because of cannabis oil.Probably after having seen all this the choice will be an easy one. Only when one knows about different choices is one is able to make them!'
Breaking news:
Cancer drugs make tumors more aggressive and deadly
When natural health advocates warn against mainstream medicine's arsenal of weapons used to fight cancer, including chemotherapy and radiation, their concerns often revolve around how these therapies can weaken and damage a person's body in numerous ways. But scientists are finding other reasons to question some of these therapies. It turns out that while chemotherapies may kill or shrink tumors in the short term, they may actually be causing malignancies to grow more deadly in the long term.
For example, NaturalNews previously reported that scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Comprehensive Cancer Center and UAB Department of Chemistry are currently investigating the very real possibility that dead cancer cells left over after chemotherapy spark cancer to spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). And now comes news that a little-explored specific cell type, the pericyte, found in what is called the microenvironment of a cancerous tumor actually may halt cancer progression and metastasis. And by destroying these cells, some anti-cancer therapies may inadvertently be making cancer more aggressive as well as likely to spread and kill.
A study just published in the January 17 issue of the journal Cancer Cell concludes that anti-angiogenic therapies (which shrink cancer by cutting off tumors' blood supply) may be killing the body's natural defense against cancer by destroying pericyte cells that likely serve as important gatekeepers against cancer progression and metastasis. Pericytes cover blood vessels and support their growth.
For the new research, Raghu Kalluri, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Matrix Biology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS), investigated whether targeting pericytes could inhibit tumor growth in the same way that other antiangiogenic cancer drugs do.
Dr. Kalluri and his research team worked with mice genetically engineered to support drug-induced depletion of pericytes in growing tumors. Next, they removed pericytes in implanted mouse breast cancer tumors, decreasing pericyte numbers by 60 percent.
Compared with control animals, there was a 30 percent decrease in the size of cancerous tumors over 25 days. But there was a serious catch to these results. Contrary to conventional mainsteam medical wisdom, the scientists discovered the number of secondary lung tumors in the engineered mice had increased threefold compared to the control mice, indicating that the tumors had metastasized.
How cancer drugs can spread cancer cells
"If you just looked at tumor growth, the results were good," Dr. Kalluri said in a press statement. "But when you looked at the whole picture, inhibiting tumor vessels was not controlling cancer progression. The cancer was, in fact, spreading. This suggested to us that without supportive pericytes, the vasculature inside the tumor was becoming weak and leaky -- even more so than it already is inside most tumors-- and this was reducing the flow of oxygen to the tumor."
That change, he explains, makes cancer cells more mobile, so they can travel through those leaky vessels to new locations. It also makes cancer cells behave more like stem cells, so they are better able to survive.
Because cancer therapies such as Imatinib, Sunitinib and others are known to decrease pericytes in tumors, the scientists next carried out the same experiments in mice with primary tumors. Only this time, they used the chemotherapy drugs Imatinib and Sunitinib instead of genetic programs to decrease pericyte numbers. Both Imatinib and Sunitinib caused 70 percent pericyte depletion -- and they also increased metastasis threefold.
In order to see if their findings are relevant to human patients, the research team examined 130 breast cancer tumor samples of varying cancer stages and tumor sizes and compared pericyte levels with prognoses. The result? The samples with low numbers of pericytes in tumor vasculature correlated with the most deeply invasive cancers, distant metastasis and five to ten year survival rates less than 20 percent.
"These results are quite provocative and will influence clinical programs designed to target tumor angiogenesis," Ronald A. DePinho, president of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, said in a press statement. "These impressive studies will inform and refine potential therapeutic approaches for many cancers."
For more information: www.bidmc.com
Source: www.naturalnews.com
A natural way of treatment - The Gift of Hemp Oil
(Imzaia.com) 'We have researched Hemp Oil thoroughly, it is very successful in healing cancer. We have collected a lot of information about the Hemp Oil so that you can find out for yourself and spread the word. The truth has been hidden for too long!'
What it does and how it works
By Rick Simpson
May 23, 2010
From my experience all forms of disease and conditions are treatable and often curable with the use of high grade hemp oil as a treatment.
Due to its harmless nature as a medicine, hemp oil is in a class all by itself. Even something like aspirin tablets that is looked upon as being harmless by the public causes thousands of deaths worldwide each year.
If you are looking for a safe medication, look no further than what the hemp plant can provide. On top of all that it’s a medicine we can all grow and produce ourselves. Also there is no need for a doctor’s supervision with its use.
When the hemp plant is grown for medicinal use, you now have your own medical system that is much safer and effective than anything our current medical system provides. You still may require a doctor to set your broken leg, but you will no longer need the chemicals they have been pushing upon us.
Hemp is medicine for the masses and no one has the right to control its use. We are all different and we all have different tolerances for practically everything. So it is up to each and every one of us to determine for ourselves how much oil we require to maintain good health.
Over the years people have come to me who after years of treatment by the medical system did not even have a diagnosis for their conditions. But the oil exercised its amazing healing power and their medical problems were solved.
Another aspect of the use of hemp as medicine is its anti-aging properties. As we age, our vital organs deteriorate and of course this impairs the function of these organs.
Hemp oil rejuvenates vital organs even in small doses it is very common for people to report to me that they feel 20 to 30 years younger after only ingesting the oil for a short time.
Now let’s take it to the next level. What about people who ingest larger quantities of oil over a longer period of time like myself? After 9 years on the oil my body does not appear to be that of a 60 year old man. Instead, my body has the appearance of someone who is a great deal younger. When I have the oil at my disposal I like to take about a quarter of a gram a day. Of course, due to short supply, quite often I must go without so my own treatment has been erratic to say the least.
From my own experience with the oil I cannot help but wonder what would happen if a person was to ingest larger quantities of oil over a longer period of time. If a person were to do this, can they actually reverse the aging process and grow younger instead of aging.
From the oils effect on my own body by all appearances this seems to be the case. Someday soon when I have enough oil I intend to start taking a gram a day for a year to see what effect it has on my body.
Many people who have taken the oil have stated that they thought it to be the fountain of youth. From my own experiences with the oil I believe this to be true.
Throughout our lives the system has told us they want preventative medicine. Now what greater preventative medicine could there possibly be than hemp oil? Judging from what I have seen, if children were given tiny doses of oil each day like a supplement, diseases like cancer diabetes MS and many other conditions could be eliminated entirely.
Now I am not talking about getting the kiddies high for once a person gets accustomed to this medication, they do not even feel or exhibit effects from the oil they are ingesting.
I know the words cure all is a hard pill to swallow. When I worked in the medical system, such terms were thought of as a joke. But when you see for yourself what this oil can do like I did, what else could it be called?
What other medicine works on everything and in many cases can cure thought-to-be incurable conditions. What else can heal diabetic ulcers, skin cancers or heal third degree burns in no time leaving no scars?
I will tell you what other medicine – no other medicine. So why on god’s green earth is it not being used? As a medication to ease our suffering and to heal us. For there is nothing better.
Myself and many others have gone through realms of so-called scientific studies which I found to be mostly double-talk and most of these studies were about synthetic THC which bears little resemblance to natural THC and its associated cannabinoids found in the hemp plant.
After studying all this scientific jargon, I had learned what amounted to nothing. But the oil continued to work the miracles so who was I to question it.
I had just about given up hope that we would ever find out why the oil worked so well for all these different medical conditions. But recently a lady named Batya Stark has provided me with what I think is all the missing pieces to the puzzle.
She has sent me a great deal of information about melatonin and the pineal gland which produces it. It seems that the pineal gland is in the driver’s seat when it comes to healing our bodies.
The melatonin it produces is an essential part of healing. When the function of the pineal gland is impaired, it produces much less melatonin and therefore we become sick and diseased.
Studies have been released that show people suffering from cancer have low levels of melatonin in their bodies. Also studies have shown that just smoking hemp can raise the melatonin levels in our bodies. So one can only imagine what the oil that is in a concentrated state can do to increase melatonin levels.
As we age we acidify and cancer thrives in an acidic environment. So bringing the body´s PH level up is very important when you are suffering from cancer and many other conditions. The oil works to do this but also other things can be of great benefit. Simple things like baking soda and lemon juice can raise the body´s PH very rapidly.
Tumors are simply the symptom of an underlying condition that is present in the bodies of people who are suffering from cancer. Indeed this underlying condition must be treated to cure the cancer and prevent it from returning.
Melatonin travels to every cell in our bodies and is the key to good health. And I am not just talking about treating cancer, it seems that melatonin levels are important to treat all conditions. Now all you have to do is connect the dots like Batya and I have; it all adds up.
Hemp oil promotes full body healing and raises melatonin levels thousands of times higher than normal. When the pineal gland produces vast amounts of melatonin, it causes no harm to the body but it is very hard on the condition you are suffering from and indeed can eliminate it. From what I can gather, all this along with your PH being raised while the oil is detoxifying your body we think causes the healing effect of this medication.
Now myself and those around me are not doctors or scientists and I like you can only wonder at why it is not them bringing this to the public. But after years of research on our part, this is the only thing we have found that connects all the dots and explains in a simple way why this medicine can do what it does.
Now we must look at what could be causing the function of our pineal gland to become impaired. Much of the time it is caused by our own lifestyles and things like cell phones that we come in contact with everyday.
Companies that produce cell phones do not like to talk about it and would prefer that we did the same. But our bodies run on electrical impulses. Now do you think it’s a good idea to put something against your head that produces an electromagnetic field which can interfere with the electrical impulses in our bodies that keep us healthy?
Cell phones are just one of the culprits. Look at studies of cancer rates of people who live near and around high tension power lines. I myself did not understand the importance of all this until a friend of mine cured his heart condition by having two electrical problems in his home repaired.
It´s frightening that so many things we come into contact with frequently can harm our health. But still there are a number of other things that do the same.
Can someone out there give me a rational explanation as to why fluoride seems to be in everything these days and please do not call me and try to tell me it’s to prevent tooth decay? Did Hitler not use fluoride in his death camps to keep the inmates calm so they would not try to escape or revolt?
I wonder what possible purpose it serves our system to be giving us so much fluoride. Does what´s going on currently not smell a little like a death camp to you? I can only wonder what effect all this fluoride is having on our brains and our pineal glands.
What about the effects of all those chemicals the doctors have been feeding to us? Would these chemicals interfere with the function of our pineal glands and could they also acidify our bodies more quickly?
I will leave that one for all you medical experts out there to figure out.
Now what about our food supply. The meat that is sold to the public in Canada and some other countries cannot even be sold in Europe. It seems that Canadian beef is looked down upon by Europeans because it has too many contaminates like antibiotics and growth hormones. Do you not find it strange that our meat is deemed unhealthy in Europe? Yet it is freely sold to anyone that is dumb enough to eat it back in Canada.
But of course no one in authority has stood up to do something about this situation, so I guess the food they are selling the public must be good for us. Trust your government because they would never allow anyone to sell us something that was not good for us would they.
So as you can plainly see, practically everything that we come into contact with can have an effect on our health and wellbeing. And of course many things I have just mentioned could have a devastating effect on the pineal gland´s ability to function properly.
It’s almost as if they knew that by interfering with the function of the pineal gland, they could cause us to become unhealthy and in need of their wonderful chemical medications. But of course only someone who is a conspiracy nut could think in such a way. Do you think the same as I do about all this? If so, then welcome to the asylum.
Source: www.phoenixtears.ca
Some Interesting Video's on Hemp Oil
We need repeal of an unconstitutional law that has filled our prisons with nonviolent pot smokers. The prohibition against marijuana was unconstitutional from its inception. It took 13 years to end alcohol prohibition, 7 decades later for cannabis prohibition, it is time to turn things around! When alcohol was legalized it was not because Beer Cured Cancer! We don't want legalization of marijuana which leaves the government to control and regulate it. Control=corpoporations can limit the publics ability to be self sufficient, therefore dependant on the corporations.
Thomas Jefferson who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution was a hemp farmer. There are documents in Library of Congress where George Washington states that he liked sitting on the back porch smoking a pipe of hemp. In early Colonial times people could pay their taxes with hemp! They poisoned George Washington first they drained half his blood and when that didnt do anything good, they finished him off with mercury.
The government repeals other laws so lets get rid of the corrupt laws!
Croatia Seminar and Discussion
FORBIDDEN CURE
Three-hour event (3h) -- seminar and discussion -- by Rick Simpson
Quote: "My name is Rick Simpson and I am here to expose you information about the most medicinal plant known to man -- hemp. Medical miracles are a common occurrence when using oil derived from this specific medicinal plant"
Rick Simpson marks 8 years of his miraculous discovery, disclosure and spread of information concerning the miraculous cure in the form of oil that is obtained from hemp plant -- oil that cures almost all serious diseases like cancer, lymphoma, sarcoma, leukemia, Crohn's disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, ulcers , burns, psoriasis, AIDS, diabetes, depression, hemorrhoids, blood and eye pressure, regulation of body weight, chronic pain, migraine, mutated cells (polyps, warts, tumors), insomnia, scars ...
Having cured himself of metastatic skin cancer 8 years ago, and subsequently many others from all over the spectrum of various serious and incurable illnesses, Rick has devoted his time to further research the oil, expanding public awareness and seeking the truth ...
He wanted to share his invention with the rest of the world, however, was met with incredible resistance and lack of understanding by the authorities responsible for advocating for the welfare of people. These are various organs such as the pharmaceutical companies, government agencies for health, and UN offices.
Since then, Rick tries to reach as many people around the world via the Internet, various radio and television interviews and newspaper articles, so that people know their options and find out what is really happening -- why is that medicine not available to everyone?
Also, Rick has held well-attended events throughout Europe, that is, in his words: "The best mean of informing the public, the place where I can directly reach the people." Rick continues his beneficial mission of informing the public and so ...
This event takes the motto: "Knowledge for all people" and the aim is to broaden horizons and awaken attitudes, to encourage more people to think carefully about the drugs they are using daily, drug effects and health care in general. Based on the extremely important information that you will find out on the event, and your future personal research on the topic, you will maybe stop blindly accept what we call "law " of health care institutions, and then we can work together to change it...
I made this video "Creative Commons - Attribution (CC-BY - reuse allowed) " there is no need to credit this youtube channel, please do credit Rick Simpson and his website Phoenix Tears. The video was available in 5 parts, I joined the files and uploaded this full version.
Some Interesting Video's on Hemp Oil
Video : Run From The Cure
Video : Forbidden Cure
We need repeal of an unconstitutional law that has filled our prisons with nonviolent pot smokers. The prohibition against marijuana was unconstitutional from its inception. It took 13 years to end alcohol prohibition, 7 decades later for cannabis prohibition, it is time to turn things around! When alcohol was legalized it was not because Beer Cured Cancer! We don't want legalization of marijuana which leaves the government to control and regulate it. Control=corpoporations can limit the publics ability to be self sufficient, therefore dependant on the corporations.
Thomas Jefferson who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution was a hemp farmer. There are documents in Library of Congress where George Washington states that he liked sitting on the back porch smoking a pipe of hemp. In early Colonial times people could pay their taxes with hemp! They poisoned George Washington first they drained half his blood and when that didnt do anything good, they finished him off with mercury.
The government repeals other laws so lets get rid of the corrupt laws!
Croatia Seminar and Discussion
FORBIDDEN CURE
Three-hour event (3h) -- seminar and discussion -- by Rick Simpson
Quote: "My name is Rick Simpson and I am here to expose you information about the most medicinal plant known to man -- hemp. Medical miracles are a common occurrence when using oil derived from this specific medicinal plant"
Rick Simpson marks 8 years of his miraculous discovery, disclosure and spread of information concerning the miraculous cure in the form of oil that is obtained from hemp plant -- oil that cures almost all serious diseases like cancer, lymphoma, sarcoma, leukemia, Crohn's disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, ulcers , burns, psoriasis, AIDS, diabetes, depression, hemorrhoids, blood and eye pressure, regulation of body weight, chronic pain, migraine, mutated cells (polyps, warts, tumors), insomnia, scars ...
Having cured himself of metastatic skin cancer 8 years ago, and subsequently many others from all over the spectrum of various serious and incurable illnesses, Rick has devoted his time to further research the oil, expanding public awareness and seeking the truth ...
He wanted to share his invention with the rest of the world, however, was met with incredible resistance and lack of understanding by the authorities responsible for advocating for the welfare of people. These are various organs such as the pharmaceutical companies, government agencies for health, and UN offices.
Since then, Rick tries to reach as many people around the world via the Internet, various radio and television interviews and newspaper articles, so that people know their options and find out what is really happening -- why is that medicine not available to everyone?
Also, Rick has held well-attended events throughout Europe, that is, in his words: "The best mean of informing the public, the place where I can directly reach the people." Rick continues his beneficial mission of informing the public and so ...
This event takes the motto: "Knowledge for all people" and the aim is to broaden horizons and awaken attitudes, to encourage more people to think carefully about the drugs they are using daily, drug effects and health care in general. Based on the extremely important information that you will find out on the event, and your future personal research on the topic, you will maybe stop blindly accept what we call "law " of health care institutions, and then we can work together to change it...
I made this video "Creative Commons - Attribution (CC-BY - reuse allowed) " there is no need to credit this youtube channel, please do credit Rick Simpson and his website Phoenix Tears. The video was available in 5 parts, I joined the files and uploaded this full version.
Source: www.phoenixtears.ca
Video : Hemp oil dosage information
For those who dispute the fact that cannabis can cure cancer, I would like to refer you to numerous studies (since 1974!) that show that cannabinoids kills cancer cells, shrink tumors, halts the spread of invasive carcinomas, and prevents occurrence. I don't know if you have the energy or the interest to follow up these links, but if you do value truth over hearsay and propaganda, then I would suggest you look at them. First you have to ask yourself: why don't you know about this? (Then you should get really, really angry).
Links for more information
Original Univ of Va study showing that THC halts lewis lung adenocarcinoma: click here
London study showing THC causes kills leukemia cells: click here
University of Texas study showing the CB1 receptor (which is activated by cannabis) suppresses colorectal cancer tumor, when the receptor is lost cancer can occur: click here
Univ of Southern Florida study showing that cannabis blocks cancer causing viruses: click here
Harvard study showing cannabis cuts lung cancer growth in half: click here
The British Journal of Cancer reports that cannabis treats prostate cancer: click here
Researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute found that cannabis halts breast cancer: click here
A large population study of chronic cannabis smokers found that they had a REDUCED risk of head, neck and throat cancers when compared to those that did not use cannabis: click here
Spanish study showing that THC inhibits gliomas (brain cancer): click here
Want more links? Here is a much more comprehensive list compiled by a wonderful woman who calls herself Granny Storm Crow: click here:
Rick Simpson's Dosage Recommendations for using Hemp oil for Cancer
It takes the average person about 90 days to ingest the full 60 gram treatment. I suggest that people start with three doses per day, about the size of a half a grain of short grained rice. A dose such as this would equal about ¼ of a drop. After four days at this dosage, most people are able to increase their doses by doubling the amount of their dose every four days.
It takes the average person about 5 weeks to get to the point where they can ingest a gram per day. Once they reach this dosage they can continue at this rate until the cancer disappears.
By using this method it allows the body to build up its tolerance slowly, in fact, I have many reports from people who took the oil treatment and said they never got high. We all have different tolerances for any medication. Your size and body weight have little to do with your tolerance for hemp oil. Be aware when commencing treatment with hemp oil that it will lower your blood pressure, so if you are currently taking blood pressure medication, it is very likely that you will no longer need it.
When people are taking the oil, I like to see them stay within their comfort zone, but the truth is, the faster you take the oil the better the chance of surviving. At the end of their treatment most people continue taking the oil but at a much reduced rate. About one gram a month would be a good maintenance dose. I do not like to see people overdosing on the oil, but an overdose does no harm. The main side effect of this medication is sleep and rest which plays an important role in the healing process. Usually, within an hour or so of taking a dose, the oil is telling you to lay down and relax. Don’t fight the sleepy feeling, just lay down and go with it. Usually within a month, the daytime tiredness associated with this treatment fades away but the patient continues to sleep very well at night.
The only time I would recommend that people start out with larger doses would be to get off addictive and dangerous pain medications. When people who are using such medications begin the oil treatment, they usually cut their pain medications in half. The object is to take enough oil to take care of the pain and to help the patient get off these dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. Taking the oil makes it much easier for the patient to get off these addictive chemicals.
I simply tell people the oil will do one of two things; it will either cure your cancer or in cases where it is too late to affect a cure, the oil will ease their way out and they can at least die with dignity.
Hemp oil has a very high success rate in the treatment of cancer. Unfortunately, many people who come to me have been badly damaged by the medical system with their chemo and radiation etc. The damage such treatments cause have a lasting effect and people who have suffered the effects of such treatments are the hardest to cure.
It should also be mentioned that the oil rejuvenates vital organs like the pancreas. Many diabetics who have taken the oil find that after about six weeks on the oil that they no longer require insulin since their pancreas is again doing its job.
Properly made hemp medicine is the greatest healer on this planet bar none. Once you experience what this medication can do you will understand why history and I call hemp medicine a cure all.
Treating Skin Cancer
If you can get some properly made oil, it will definitely work to cure skin cancer and usually it only takes a few grams of oil to accomplish the task. Take about 30 grams of good Indica bud, this amount of starting material should produce 3 to 4 grams of high grade oil. Apply the oil to the skin cancer and cover it with a bandage, apply fresh oil and a new bandage every 3 or 4 days and the cancer should soon disappear. I always tell people to continue treatment until the cancer is gone, then they should continue to treat the area for about two more weeks just as if the cancer was still there.
Doing this will ensure that all the cancer cells are dead and I have never seen a cancer return if my instructions are followed. If you’ve had skin cancer for quite some time and the cancer is well established, it may take some time to cure. But usually even in quite severe cases the cancer will disappear in less than three weeks. In an extreme case it may take longer but if so ,then just keep up the treatment until it is gone. Many people can cure their skin cancer in no time, but it all depends on your own rate of healing and how deeply embedded the cancer has become.
Other Natural Things You Can Do That Could Help
When people came to me for oil to treat their cancer, the first thing I told them to do is change their diets. Try to stay away from animal protein as much as possible, since such protein promotes cancer growth. Get a juicing machine and start eating as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible, since plant protein fights the growth of cancer. Stop using sugar and replace its use with natural sweetener’s like raw honey. Get the patient’s PH up as quickly as possible, cancer likes an acidic environment and when you raise the body’s PH it makes it hard for cancer cells to survive. Also start eating the seeds from two apples everyday, this will give you a good daily dose of B17 also known as laetrile. B17 in its own right has a pretty good track record in the treatment of cancer and there are other natural things such as wheat grass, that you may find of benefit as well. Many people who have used the oil to treat their cancers did not change a thing, but the oil still worked its magic and they were healed.
But if you have a serious condition like cancer I think its a good idea to take other natural things that may help the oil eradicate the cancer and give you a better chance to survive. But the most important thing of all is, people have to realize that for the most part, what the medical system provides does much more harm than good. That is the reason I tell people who contact me, if they want to survive its best to stay as far away from the medical system as possible. That is the sad state, the medical system we have today is in and it will not change until people who work within this system finally realize that chemicals and poison do not heal. As far as I’m concerned what most doctors today practice is madness and not medicine.
Video : Rick Simpson - Cannabis Cures - An Interview
Beautifully Cured People Sharing Their Story
Video : Leaf
Dr. Courtney is a physician and researcher from Mendocino, California, who gives medical marijuana approvals to qualified patients in Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. Kristen Peskuski is a researcher and patient who put her systemic lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, interstitial cystitis, and numerous other conditions into remission juicing fresh cannabis.
They help make sense of the science behind patient's recoveries from a diverse range of medical conditions. Attorneys, physicians, law enforcement, medical care providers, patients and their families discuss their experiences with medical cannabis. They specifically focus on juicing fresh cannabis, which is non-psychoactive and contains medical properties 200-400 times stronger than traditional, heated cannabis.
Patients have reported success with osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disorders, cancer and many other conditions using this unique therapy.
Please check out cannabisinternational.org for more information.
Please support Dr. William Courtney at CourtneyforCongress.org so that no one has to be afraid to use the medicine they need.
Video : Cured: A Cannabis story
It has been proven that concentrated cannabis extract oil cures cancer.
Why hasn't The U.S. National Cancer Institute or The American Cancer Society tested Cannabis Oil?. Is it lack of personnel (2,100 USNCI staff members) or limited financial support (USNCI 2010 budget of $5.1 Billion dollars!)
Cannabis Concentrate or extract is the same as Rick Simpson's "Hemp Oil". Hemp seed oil is NOT what Rick Simpson is making and using.
Video : Dad gives Toddler battling Brain Cancer Hemp Oil
Video : Prostate cancer cured with Cannabis Oil - part 1
Video : Prostate cancer cured with Cannabis Oil - part 2
Rick Simpson and Christian Laurette have "given" you the recipe to cure yourself... free of charge. Hemp oil (cannabinoid oil) is not sold in stores, that is "Hemp seed oil" and it is good for you but it won't cure diseases or help with pain. Hemp oil IS cannabinoids extracted from the buds of the female marijuana/hemp plant. You have to get buds or this will not be potent enough to cure serious disease; this has been proven... take my word on it or take your chances with your doctor.
RUN FROM THE CURE: The Rick Simpson Story, a film by Christian Laurette
Available for free at http://www.youtube.com/ IF YOU SEE ONLY ONE DOCUMENTARY THIS YEAR... MAKE IT THIS ONE!
By Dennis Hill
Quote:
Yes, I was shocked when the urologist gave me the pathology report from my prostate biopsy: aggressive prostate adenocarcinoma. The good news was that it had not yet spread to bone or other tissues, apparently. But unfortunately later found that the cancer did get loose and invaded the seminal vesicles and maybe to the bladder, making it a stage three adenocarcinoma.
My profound disappointment arose from the feeling of betrayal. I had always taken the best care of this body; conscientious diet, daily exercise, yoga, meditation. What went wrong; where did I miss something?
In high school I opted to take a Physiology elective to learn the science of the human body. Every class was the thrill of discovery, and it set the course for my career in health sciences. Following a degree in Biochemistry, I spent ten years in cancer research at a world famous university hospital. I watched so many people die from cancer and its treatment, which deepened my resolve to do whatever it took to avoid this devastating demise.
It is common knowledge in the scientific community that some cancers can be heritable, in that our genetically programmed physiology has some factors to predispose neoplastic formations. The men closest to me in my family line have all developed prostate cancer. Perhaps it’s not my fault, it’s in the genes. That’s convenient, but I’m still not happy about it. So now, what to do?
The customary treatment options for this disorder are all inhumane, radical, aggressive, and insufferable. The life expectancy of traditionally treated prostate cancer is only three percent greater than no treatment at all; and incurs great expense and great suffering for the patient as well as the family.
Does the picture look any better for alternative treatments? There is really no way to know, statistically; as there is no reliable tracking of these data and comparison with traditional interventions. However, alternative modalities do offer hope even though science is lacking, and testimonials are often inflated or misleading.
One approach to this conundrum might be to take a measure of each and perhaps the outcome might turn in your favor. At this point I have chosen the least invasive and most effective options in traditional treatment: hormone therapy plus radiation. The hormone therapy consists of Lupron injections that inhibit androgen production that drives cancer cell growth and replication. That seems reasonable; it’s not cytotoxic and does not interfere with life in general. Radiation is not as traumatic and invasive as surgery, but the downside is that healthy tissue proximal to the prostate can get burned and cause life-altering damage. And we all know that radiation does cause cancer, which is disturbing.
What is the promise of alternative therapies that live on the fringes of traditional modalities? We don’t really know until we try them, but there are uncountable possibilities. It’s best to just start with what we know. I know something about nutrition, and there are numerous nutritional supplements that are known to be therapeutic in cancer. So I take them. There are herbal remedies also, and I take some of that too. Now I see there is cannabis extract, with many saying they are cured. Well, why not? I want to be cured as well. I understand that the cannabinoids have a modulating influence on perhaps all physiological systems. Modulation, here, means regulation, or optimization. There are more than 65 different cannabinoids in cannabis, each with it’s specific job at cellular regulation sites, where biological processes are optimized to bring metabolic balance to maintain healthy tissues. This is a very good thing.
As the body, its organs and tissues, fall out of balance or become diseased, cannabinoids have a restorative effect wherever the tissues are damaged, bringing optimal health in all structures and functions in the body. To illustrate this, one particular cannabinoid detects proliferation of tumor cells, binds to the appropriate receptor site (CB2), and causes cancer cell death, leaving normal cells untouched.1 This effect is shown easily in the lab, but is this scalable to the human condition? We shall see.
In my high school physiology course, the first important concept I learned was homeostasis, the persistent tendency of the body to maintain metabolic balance. It does this through several related systems; so we see that the body likes to be healthy and happy. That is its nature.
Why does the body allow these foreign cannabinoids to come in and take control of such essential physiological processes, without some kind of reaction? It is simply because this modulation system is already set up, and has been functional for millions of years; it’s in the DNA of all living creatures. Only it’s called the endocannabinoid system. Let’s look and see what this system is all about. In the Journal of Neuroimmunology we find a succinct summary:
The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands and enzymes for synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids and represents a local messenger system within and between the nervous and immune system. Apparently, the endocannabinoid system is involved in immune control and neuroprotection.2
This is amazing. Our own endocannabinoid system covers all cells and nerves; it is the messenger of information flowing between our immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). It is responsible for neuroprotection, and micro-manages the immune system. This is the primary control system that maintains homeostasis; our well being.
Just out of curiosity, how does the work get done at the cellular level, and where does the body make the endocannabinoids? Here is a quick look:
In standard neurotransmission, the pre-synaptic neuron releases neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft which binds to cognate receptors expressed on the post-synaptic neuron. Upon binding, the neuron depolarizes. This depolarization facilitates the influx of calcium into the neuron; this increase in calcium activates an enzyme called transacylase which catalyzes the first step of endocannabinoid biosynthesis.3
Here we see that endocannabinoids have their origin in nerve cells right at the synapse. When the body is compromised through illness or injury it calls insistently to the endocannabinoid system to direct the immune system to bring healing. If these homeostatic systems are weakened, it should be no surprise that hemp cannabinoids are therapeutic. It helps the body in the most natural way possible.
To see how this works we visualize the cannabinoid as a three dimensional molecule, where one part of the molecule is configured to fit the nerve or immune cell receptor site just like a key in a lock. There are at least two types of cannabinoid receptor sites, CB1 (CNS) and CB2 (immune). In general CB1 gives us the buzz, and CB2 activates the immune system, but it’s much more complex than this. Both THC and anandamide activate both receptor sites. Other cannabinoids activate one or the other receptor sites.4 Among the strains of Cannabis, C. sativa tends toward the CB1 receptor, and C. indica tends toward CB2. So sativa is better for buzz, and indica is better for healing. Another factor here is that sativa is dominated by THC cannabinoids, and indica is predominately CBD (cannabidiol).
It is known that THC and CBD are biomimetic to anandamide, that is, the body can use both interchangeably. Thus, when stress, injury, or illness demand more from endogenous anandamide than can be produced by the body, its mimetic exocannabinoids can be administered. If the stress is transitory, then the treatment can be transitory. If the demand is sustained, such as in cancer, then treatment needs to provide sustained pressure of the modulating agent on the homeostatic systems. This is why ************ recommends twice daily doses of hemp oil extract (C. indica), for three months, in the case of cancer.
Typically CBD gravitates to the densely packed CB2 receptors in the spleen, home to the body’s immune system. From there, immune cells seek out and destroy cancer cells. Interestingly, it has been shown that CBD cannabinoids have the ability to kill cancer cells directly without going through immune intermediaries. CBD hijacks the lipoxygenase pathway to directly inhibit tumor growth.5 As a side note, it has been discovered that CBD inhibits anandamide reuptake. This means that cannabidiol helps the body preserve its own natural endocannabinoid by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down anandamide.6
Coincidentally, it is not only CBD that is specifically cytotoxic to cancer cells, THC takes a different approach the task:
THC achieves this wizardry by binding to protein receptors on a cancerous cell’s surface. Once attached, the THC induces the cell to make a fatty substance called ceramide, which prompts the cell to start devouring itself. “We see programmed cell death,” Velasco says. What’s more, noncancerous cells don’t make ceramide when they come into contact with THC. The healthy cells don’t die.7
Just for clarity, endogenous ceramide (a signaling sphingolipid) disrupts the mitochondrial function of making ATP (adenosine triphosphate), thus the cancer cell becomes energy starved. ATP is the energy donor for all essential cell functions. Once the mitochondria shut down, the cell dies.8
Endogenous ceramide’s day job is to speed destruction of already stressed or senescent cells. We seen now that in the presence of THC, ceramide senses cancer cells as stressed or senescent, thus speeding their death. 8
Before leaving this topic it is important that we differentiate between plant based ceramide (phytosphingosine) and mammalian ceramide (endogenous sphignosine). Plant ceramide has a slightly different molecular structure but very different bioactivity. Ingested, it is a moisturizing lipid that supports the skin (stratum corneum) enhancing the moisture barrier that keeps epidermis from drying out. This is good, you should get some. I tried it and liked it.
July 8, 2010
Might as well just jump in and do what needs to be done. Fortunately, California is more lenient than other states regarding medical cannabis. I went to the local franchise, MediCann, to get certified to use medical cannabis. I’ve acquired a small supply of concentrated resin for daily use. It is so nice to sleep through the night again. This amount of cannabinoid is a shock to the system and it has taken about a week to acclimate to it. Now I’m up to the full strength dose, about one gram per day in two divided doses. I’ve noticed that blood pressure is down 20 - 40 points, that is, back to normal. Perhaps I can quit taking the BP meds. Overall, this daily intake of cannabinoids slows me down some, but I don’t mind. It doesn’t restrict me in the least. For some reason I don’t want to drive as fast on the freeway, but this is a good thing. It’s a nice feeling to be a little more laid back. I’m very aware of the anxiolytic and anti-spasmodic qualities of cannabis; this makes me very happy for lots of reasons. For example...
One of the complications of adenocarcinoma is prostate enlargement that causes compression of the bladder and urethra, creating numerous dangerous urinary tract issues. Anti-spasmodic cannabis brings enough tissue relaxation that urgency, frequency, and urethral stricture is substantially alleviated. Certainly there are pharmaceuticals that will do this, but they are expensive, and have serious or even fatal side effects.
The well known anxiolytic property of cannabis provides an improvement in quality of life in all facets of living in the world. It is so sublime to feel contented well-being going through this process of healing. Sure beats life in a hospital.
August 8, 2010
I’m really surprised that there is so much good information on the internet about medical cannabis. Even though many are taking the curative powers of cannabis quite seriously, there are still no controlled studies on the effectiveness of cannabis treatment of cancer. There are numerous anecdotal cases that are grounds for optimism but I would like to see some good science with controlled variables. Mostly I would like to see strain potency standards for the various cannabinoids used therapeutically for cancer and other health concerns. Fortunately there is a lab in Oakland that specializes in cannabinoid profiling (CW Analytical Labs). They have an analytics library of common strains and also do custom analyses. Good start.
To bring some clarity to my own experimental treatment I’m trying to evaluate the cannabis biology of the supply I have currently in use. The name of the strain is not known, but subjectively it feels like a blend of C.sativa and C.indica. Given that the butter is highly concentrated extract from bud, resin, and leaf, I’m just guessing that the butter is about one percent the concentration of the popular ************ Hemp Oil, making dosage one tablespoon concentrated cannabis butter per day. This is totally unscientific, but it’s what I have. We’ll see, in the end, how it all works out. Until them, the butter is very tasty spread on rice cakes, brownies, etc.
It may be useful to see the preparation of the extract....
Extraction starts with:
Water wash all materials with hot rinse water for 30 minutes; then dry thoroughly. Everything that tastes bad in cannabis is water-soluble. The water wash is to bring good taste to green stuff. Grind shake in a food processor to a fine consistency. Melt butter in a crock pot set on low; stir in the trim powder while stirring constantly to mix. Cook in covered crock pot on the lowest setting for 2 - 4 hours. Add two ounces of high proof alcohol (Everclear, or comparable) to help extract cannabinoids early in the cook. The butter/oil will be a very dark green. Before it cools, pour the mix through a cheese cloth and squeeze into containers. Or, you might use a juicer to separate the roughage from the nectar (I like the Champion Juicer for the horsepower). Seal tight and store in the freezer. The residue from the pressing can be used to bake very potent brownies or cookies.
I also have a small supply of genuine Hemp Oil, created by a master herbalist, exactly from the recipe of ************. The strain is Northern Lights. One drop the size of a rice grain has the same effect as a tablespoon of my cannabutter, so I’m confident that the therapeutic effect is the same in the two different concentrations of high quality oil, even though the Hemp Oil is processed from buds, and cannabutter from shake (leaves and bud trim). Buds will generally give more THC, and the shake, more CBD.
Oops! What just happened? Did I just gain ten pounds? Hmm. Guess it’s true what they say about the munchies. Must get this turned around immediately. Less calories in; more calories out. Run more!
August 26, 2010
This journal was started to capture the ordinary as well as extraordinary events and experiences along this healing path. One of the unexpected effects of the cannabis is the apparent physical status improvement as shown by chiropractic adjustment. For the last several years I have gone for regular chiropractic spinal adjustments. Generally, I present with spinal misalignment, which then needs to be adjusted. Beginning in the same week I started cannabis treatment, I no longer needed adjustment. For the last eight weeks, without exception, I am suddenly presenting in perfect alignment. Interesting.
We are about nine weeks into this experiment and I’m noticing a couple of other things since starting the cannabis regimen. One, a chronic intestinal distress of two years has suddenly resolved. And the other is an increase in physical vitality. Since a very serious illness ten years ago I have been walking for exercise. Up to now, running was painful and exhausting, due to several orthopedic surgeries that didn’t go well. Just this week, the body has just wanted to run instead of walk. I’m starting slowly, walking some, running some; but in only one week my stride has started to stretch out nicely. This is completely unexpected.
September 1, 2010
Let’s take a side track here to understand how THC kills cancer in humans. First let’s look at what keeps cancer cells alive, then we will come back and examine how the cannabinoids CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) unravels cancer’s aliveness.
In every cell there is a family of interconvertible sphingolipids that specifically manage the life and death of that cell. This profile of factors is called the “Sphingolipid Rheostat.” If ceramide (a signaling metabolite of sphingosine-1-phosphate) is high, then cell death (apoptosis) is imminent. If ceramide is low, the cell is strong in its vitality.
Very simply, when THC connects to the CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptor site on the cancer cell, it causes an increase in ceramide synthesis which drives cell death. A normal healthy cell does not produce ceramide in the presence of THC, thus is not affected by the cannabinoid.
The cancer cell dies, not because of cytotoxic chemicals, but because of a tiny little shift in the mitochondria. Within most cells there is a cell nucleus, numerous mitochondria (hundreds to thousands), and various other organelles in the cytoplasm. The purpose of the mitochondria is to produce energy (ATP) for cell use. As ceramide starts to accumulate, turning up the Sphingolipid Rheostat, it increases the mitochondrial membrane pore permeability to cytochrome c, a critical protein in energy synthesis. Cytochrome c is pushed out of the mitochondria, killing the source of energy for the cell.
Ceramide also causes genotoxic stress in the cancer cell nucleus generating a protein called p53, whose job it is to disrupt calcium metabolism in the mitochondria. If this weren’t enough, ceramide disrupts the cellular lysosome, the cell’s digestive system that provides nutrients for all cell functions. Ceramide, and other sphingolipids, actively inhibit pro-survival pathways in the cell leaving no possibility at all of cancer cell survival.
The key to this process is the accumulation of ceramide in the system. This means taking therapeutic amounts of CBD and THC, steadily, over a period of time, keeping metabolic pressure on this cancer cell death pathway. 8
September 6, 2010
One of the first things a prostate patient notices is frequency and urgency. Oh good, there’s a drug for that: Flomax. There are some morbid side effects (for me nearly fatal), but it does reduce symptoms; and it is very expensive. We know that cannabinoids are anti-spasmodic; it seemed reasonable that cannabis might relax the urethral stricture, and take over for Flomax. Last week I stopped taking the Flomax; with no return of symptoms. This, too, was completely unexpected. I am delighted in the extreme to be without the expense and the side-effects.
I am quite encouraged by some of the signs along the way to a general awakening to the medical efficacy of cannabinoids. For instance, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on cannabis to the federal government (Dept. of Health and Human Services) for its health benefits in treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; stating specifically Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, HIV, and dementia. This is patent #6630507 granted in 2003. In fact, there are numerous prescription pharmaceuticals of synthetic THC. These are Dronabinol (Marinol), Sativex, and Nabilone. There is also HU-210 that is 100 times as potent as THC. These drugs are widely prescribed in the United States, Europe, and Asia. This tells me that certain sectors of our culture are already going full bore to put cannabis to work in the service of improving human health. We wait patiently for the remaining obstacles to fall away. Seems that a major obstacle is that a few still think that if a medicine has the side-effect of contented well-being, it needs to be illegal. Not sure what to think about that.
The primary complaint about the synthetic THC pharmaceuticals is that there are many other therapeutic cannabinoids in cannabis that are not represented in the pharmaceutical, which dilutes the effectiveness of a singular THC analog. To get around this, chemists have created HU-331 which is a synthetic cannabidiol and is used as a potent anti-cancer agent. Want to know how HU-331 kills cancer? It unravels the cancer cell’s DNA. That kills it for sure. If this doesn’t tell us anything, I have another story. Analyze mother’s milk and you will find the endocannabinoid 2-AG. All babies start life with this cannabis cocktail. Really, if this weren't healthy for us, it wouldn’t be in mother’s milk. 2-AG (arachnidonoylglycerol) is similar to anandamide, and is found in high concentrations in brain and spinal cord tissues. As such, it is a CB1 receptor agonist.
September 24th, 2010
It has been two months since beginning this alternative treatment with the herbal cannabinoids, with no adjunct treatment of chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation. What has been the effect of this radical excursion into self-treatment? In a routine prostate exam yesterday, the urologist determined that since he checked three months ago, the prostate has “substantially” decreased in size indicating remission of the tumor. Let’s put this news into perspective of how far we have really come. Looking at the details of the prostate biopsy Histology Report indicates that all six needle biopsy samples showed adenocarcinoma involving an average of 90% of tissue, with Gleason Scores of sevens and eights. Gleason scores range from one to eight with the highest score characteristic of highly aggressive cancer with the worst prognosis. This is huge to overcome in two months.
There is another indicator that is in play here. PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is useful for judging cancer activity. My PSA, as of last week, was measured as <0.1ng/mL. This means no activity at all. Normal range is 1 - 4. My previous PSA was 8.0, so we see how far we have progressed in two months. Actually, this is remarkable.
There is one other thing to note. In the months of treatment, taking very high doses of cannabinoid extract, what has been the effect on my daily life of this potent psychotropic? Not much, really. I take a large does before bed and a small dose in the morning. It took a week for my system to become accustomed to it, then it was life as usual of work and play.
As for the future; maybe I will decline two months of radiation that is planned to begin next month. This is the best news of my life. And it will be nice to continue to support this good health with nature’s best medicine for many more years.
January 12, 2011
During the prostate exam yesterday, the urologist, surprised at the shrinkage of the prostate and absence of pain on examination, said, “It’s hardly there any more, compared to the enlarged fully involved tumor we saw a few months ago.” We will do another biopsy of the prostate in a couple of weeks in order to get cytological examination of the tissue and to evaluate the presence or absence of adenocarcinoma. At this point I’m feeling optimistic. But we will not know anything until we see the pathology report of the biopsy. Of course we ran a PSA, which was essentially zero. This means that the immune system is not seeing any cancer activity. Same as three months ago.
January 25, 2011
Prostate biopsy today (ouch). The urologist observed that the prostate has shrunk to less than normal. A normal prostate will be about 36cc volume. Today mine measured 13cc’s. The doctor is encouraged by this, but we will wait until February 8th to get the tissue histology report to consider future therapy.
The prostate was so small, he could only get four biopsy samples, instead of the 6 or 8 that is normally taken. Glad that’s over. One nice little surprise during six months of cannabinoid therapy, is that I have not been sick all winter—no colds, flu, sinus. Given that cannabidiol is an immune system modulating agent we might expect that this would provide a quick resolution for diseases that trigger immune response. It’s also nice that I’m not hungry all the time any more.
February 8, 2011
The histology report of the prostate biopsy says that there is no cancer detectable. I’m very happy to have beat this insidious killer, thanks to so many who have helped me get to this place. Looking back I find it amazing that this deadly cancer was quickly wiped out using natural enzymes of the cannabis plant. Looking forward, how do I avoid the return of the dreaded adenocarcinoma that we know comes back in 70% of conventional therapy cases?
Perhaps the conditions are still present to reignite cancer invasion, considering that genetics might be a player in this little drama. Is there anything that will inhibit the formation of prostate cancer? It turns out that yes, currently available is an enzyme that kills prostate cancer stem cells. Now that the cancer cells are gone, gamma-tocotrienol will kill the arising stem cells that would potentially bring the cancer back. What is this gamma-tocotrienol, where did it originate and what does it do, exactly? Gamma-tocotrienol (y-T3) is an isomer of vitamin E that is extracted from palm oil.
Taken orally, gamma-tocotrienol is most potent in suppressing prostate cancer cell proliferation, which acts through multiple-signaling pathways. This signaling is through proteins that regulate immune response, such as NFkB and EGF-R. In this way gamma-tocotrienol down-regulates pro-survival signaling pathways inducing apoptosis, cell death. This process is highly specific in that it spares normal prostate tissue. This ability of gamma-tocotrienol to eradicate prostate cancer also acts to suppress cancer cell proliferation and metastasis.
Stopping this cancer from spreading or returning is primary in choosing an appropriate therapy.9 Another pathway taken by gamma-tocotrienol to control prostate cancer stem cells is the up-regulation of the p53 protein. This is associated with the ejection of cytchrome c from the mitochondrial nucleus to the liquid matrix (cytosol) of cellular cytoplasm. Is this starting to sound familiar? This is the same pathway that THC and cannabidiol use in stimulating ceramide synthesis in the cancer cell to cause cell apoptosis. Essentially, the cannabinoids and gamma-tocotrienols are performing the same function along similar metabolic pathways to kill cancer and its stem cells.
This strategy appears likely to bring a long lifetime free of any cancer. That’s a good thing. But I’ve never been one to do whatever is just enough. I like beyond just enough, for most things. So what else can I do to eliminate the possibility of cancer recurrence? Pomegranate! As you can probably imagine from the taste of pomegranate it is loaded with a remarkable array of phenylpropanoids and ellagitannins. Since prostate cancer depends completely on testosterone to grow and spread, phenylpropanoids disrupts the communication between testosterone and the cell, thus leaving the cancer to wither.
Now, what does ellagitannins bring to the table? We know that rapid growth of cancer cells requires increased blood vessel formation (angiogenesis). Ellagitannins have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis in neoplastic tissue. Cancer growth is inhibited from lack of oxygen so cellular proliferation can not occur; thus again, apoptosis.10 This should do it; but ************ chimes in here also, he says that once the cancer is cleared, we can keep a maintenance routine of one regular dose every week or two that will kill any cancer before it aggregates into an active neoplasm.
Six months ago when I started taking massive amounts of cannabinoid extract, the burning question in my mind was, “What will happen when I quit taking this stuff? Will I become dependent. What will withdrawal be like?” I was a little afraid. At the end of the six month treatment I abruptly stopped the medication—and waited for withdrawal to happen. There were a couple of days I was a little cranky; but mostly, withdrawal was a non-event. I just didn’t feel any different. Contemplating this I wondered, why wasn’t it more traumatic.
The answer is simply this: in our normal physiology there is already the full array of endocannabinoid channels that the additional dosage supports. When the additional extract is withdrawn, the existing anandamide (our natural cannabinoid) metabolic pathways resume their normal function. The adjustment is very slight. Now that the cancer is gone, continuing metabolic support with pomegranate and tocotrienol, or cannabinoid support, will assure that it will never return.
I’ve been given a new life; it’s thrilling to contemplate the possibilities.
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Yes, I was shocked when the urologist gave me the pathology report from my prostate biopsy: aggressive prostate adenocarcinoma. The good news was that it had not yet spread to bone or other tissues, apparently. But unfortunately later found that the cancer did get loose and invaded the seminal vesicles and maybe to the bladder, making it a stage three adenocarcinoma.
My profound disappointment arose from the feeling of betrayal. I had always taken the best care of this body; conscientious diet, daily exercise, yoga, meditation. What went wrong; where did I miss something?
In high school I opted to take a Physiology elective to learn the science of the human body. Every class was the thrill of discovery, and it set the course for my career in health sciences. Following a degree in Biochemistry, I spent ten years in cancer research at a world famous university hospital. I watched so many people die from cancer and its treatment, which deepened my resolve to do whatever it took to avoid this devastating demise.
It is common knowledge in the scientific community that some cancers can be heritable, in that our genetically programmed physiology has some factors to predispose neoplastic formations. The men closest to me in my family line have all developed prostate cancer. Perhaps it’s not my fault, it’s in the genes. That’s convenient, but I’m still not happy about it. So now, what to do?
The customary treatment options for this disorder are all inhumane, radical, aggressive, and insufferable. The life expectancy of traditionally treated prostate cancer is only three percent greater than no treatment at all; and incurs great expense and great suffering for the patient as well as the family.
Does the picture look any better for alternative treatments? There is really no way to know, statistically; as there is no reliable tracking of these data and comparison with traditional interventions. However, alternative modalities do offer hope even though science is lacking, and testimonials are often inflated or misleading.
One approach to this conundrum might be to take a measure of each and perhaps the outcome might turn in your favor. At this point I have chosen the least invasive and most effective options in traditional treatment: hormone therapy plus radiation. The hormone therapy consists of Lupron injections that inhibit androgen production that drives cancer cell growth and replication. That seems reasonable; it’s not cytotoxic and does not interfere with life in general. Radiation is not as traumatic and invasive as surgery, but the downside is that healthy tissue proximal to the prostate can get burned and cause life-altering damage. And we all know that radiation does cause cancer, which is disturbing.
What is the promise of alternative therapies that live on the fringes of traditional modalities? We don’t really know until we try them, but there are uncountable possibilities. It’s best to just start with what we know. I know something about nutrition, and there are numerous nutritional supplements that are known to be therapeutic in cancer. So I take them. There are herbal remedies also, and I take some of that too. Now I see there is cannabis extract, with many saying they are cured. Well, why not? I want to be cured as well. I understand that the cannabinoids have a modulating influence on perhaps all physiological systems. Modulation, here, means regulation, or optimization. There are more than 65 different cannabinoids in cannabis, each with it’s specific job at cellular regulation sites, where biological processes are optimized to bring metabolic balance to maintain healthy tissues. This is a very good thing.
As the body, its organs and tissues, fall out of balance or become diseased, cannabinoids have a restorative effect wherever the tissues are damaged, bringing optimal health in all structures and functions in the body. To illustrate this, one particular cannabinoid detects proliferation of tumor cells, binds to the appropriate receptor site (CB2), and causes cancer cell death, leaving normal cells untouched.1 This effect is shown easily in the lab, but is this scalable to the human condition? We shall see.
In my high school physiology course, the first important concept I learned was homeostasis, the persistent tendency of the body to maintain metabolic balance. It does this through several related systems; so we see that the body likes to be healthy and happy. That is its nature.
Why does the body allow these foreign cannabinoids to come in and take control of such essential physiological processes, without some kind of reaction? It is simply because this modulation system is already set up, and has been functional for millions of years; it’s in the DNA of all living creatures. Only it’s called the endocannabinoid system. Let’s look and see what this system is all about. In the Journal of Neuroimmunology we find a succinct summary:
The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands and enzymes for synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids and represents a local messenger system within and between the nervous and immune system. Apparently, the endocannabinoid system is involved in immune control and neuroprotection.2
Just out of curiosity, how does the work get done at the cellular level, and where does the body make the endocannabinoids? Here is a quick look:
In standard neurotransmission, the pre-synaptic neuron releases neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft which binds to cognate receptors expressed on the post-synaptic neuron. Upon binding, the neuron depolarizes. This depolarization facilitates the influx of calcium into the neuron; this increase in calcium activates an enzyme called transacylase which catalyzes the first step of endocannabinoid biosynthesis.3
Here we see that endocannabinoids have their origin in nerve cells right at the synapse. When the body is compromised through illness or injury it calls insistently to the endocannabinoid system to direct the immune system to bring healing. If these homeostatic systems are weakened, it should be no surprise that hemp cannabinoids are therapeutic. It helps the body in the most natural way possible.
To see how this works we visualize the cannabinoid as a three dimensional molecule, where one part of the molecule is configured to fit the nerve or immune cell receptor site just like a key in a lock. There are at least two types of cannabinoid receptor sites, CB1 (CNS) and CB2 (immune). In general CB1 gives us the buzz, and CB2 activates the immune system, but it’s much more complex than this. Both THC and anandamide activate both receptor sites. Other cannabinoids activate one or the other receptor sites.4 Among the strains of Cannabis, C. sativa tends toward the CB1 receptor, and C. indica tends toward CB2. So sativa is better for buzz, and indica is better for healing. Another factor here is that sativa is dominated by THC cannabinoids, and indica is predominately CBD (cannabidiol).
It is known that THC and CBD are biomimetic to anandamide, that is, the body can use both interchangeably. Thus, when stress, injury, or illness demand more from endogenous anandamide than can be produced by the body, its mimetic exocannabinoids can be administered. If the stress is transitory, then the treatment can be transitory. If the demand is sustained, such as in cancer, then treatment needs to provide sustained pressure of the modulating agent on the homeostatic systems. This is why ************ recommends twice daily doses of hemp oil extract (C. indica), for three months, in the case of cancer.
Typically CBD gravitates to the densely packed CB2 receptors in the spleen, home to the body’s immune system. From there, immune cells seek out and destroy cancer cells. Interestingly, it has been shown that CBD cannabinoids have the ability to kill cancer cells directly without going through immune intermediaries. CBD hijacks the lipoxygenase pathway to directly inhibit tumor growth.5 As a side note, it has been discovered that CBD inhibits anandamide reuptake. This means that cannabidiol helps the body preserve its own natural endocannabinoid by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down anandamide.6
Coincidentally, it is not only CBD that is specifically cytotoxic to cancer cells, THC takes a different approach the task:
THC achieves this wizardry by binding to protein receptors on a cancerous cell’s surface. Once attached, the THC induces the cell to make a fatty substance called ceramide, which prompts the cell to start devouring itself. “We see programmed cell death,” Velasco says. What’s more, noncancerous cells don’t make ceramide when they come into contact with THC. The healthy cells don’t die.7
Just for clarity, endogenous ceramide (a signaling sphingolipid) disrupts the mitochondrial function of making ATP (adenosine triphosphate), thus the cancer cell becomes energy starved. ATP is the energy donor for all essential cell functions. Once the mitochondria shut down, the cell dies.8
Endogenous ceramide’s day job is to speed destruction of already stressed or senescent cells. We seen now that in the presence of THC, ceramide senses cancer cells as stressed or senescent, thus speeding their death. 8
Before leaving this topic it is important that we differentiate between plant based ceramide (phytosphingosine) and mammalian ceramide (endogenous sphignosine). Plant ceramide has a slightly different molecular structure but very different bioactivity. Ingested, it is a moisturizing lipid that supports the skin (stratum corneum) enhancing the moisture barrier that keeps epidermis from drying out. This is good, you should get some. I tried it and liked it.
July 8, 2010
Might as well just jump in and do what needs to be done. Fortunately, California is more lenient than other states regarding medical cannabis. I went to the local franchise, MediCann, to get certified to use medical cannabis. I’ve acquired a small supply of concentrated resin for daily use. It is so nice to sleep through the night again. This amount of cannabinoid is a shock to the system and it has taken about a week to acclimate to it. Now I’m up to the full strength dose, about one gram per day in two divided doses. I’ve noticed that blood pressure is down 20 - 40 points, that is, back to normal. Perhaps I can quit taking the BP meds. Overall, this daily intake of cannabinoids slows me down some, but I don’t mind. It doesn’t restrict me in the least. For some reason I don’t want to drive as fast on the freeway, but this is a good thing. It’s a nice feeling to be a little more laid back. I’m very aware of the anxiolytic and anti-spasmodic qualities of cannabis; this makes me very happy for lots of reasons. For example...
One of the complications of adenocarcinoma is prostate enlargement that causes compression of the bladder and urethra, creating numerous dangerous urinary tract issues. Anti-spasmodic cannabis brings enough tissue relaxation that urgency, frequency, and urethral stricture is substantially alleviated. Certainly there are pharmaceuticals that will do this, but they are expensive, and have serious or even fatal side effects.
The well known anxiolytic property of cannabis provides an improvement in quality of life in all facets of living in the world. It is so sublime to feel contented well-being going through this process of healing. Sure beats life in a hospital.
August 8, 2010
I’m really surprised that there is so much good information on the internet about medical cannabis. Even though many are taking the curative powers of cannabis quite seriously, there are still no controlled studies on the effectiveness of cannabis treatment of cancer. There are numerous anecdotal cases that are grounds for optimism but I would like to see some good science with controlled variables. Mostly I would like to see strain potency standards for the various cannabinoids used therapeutically for cancer and other health concerns. Fortunately there is a lab in Oakland that specializes in cannabinoid profiling (CW Analytical Labs). They have an analytics library of common strains and also do custom analyses. Good start.
To bring some clarity to my own experimental treatment I’m trying to evaluate the cannabis biology of the supply I have currently in use. The name of the strain is not known, but subjectively it feels like a blend of C.sativa and C.indica. Given that the butter is highly concentrated extract from bud, resin, and leaf, I’m just guessing that the butter is about one percent the concentration of the popular ************ Hemp Oil, making dosage one tablespoon concentrated cannabis butter per day. This is totally unscientific, but it’s what I have. We’ll see, in the end, how it all works out. Until them, the butter is very tasty spread on rice cakes, brownies, etc.
It may be useful to see the preparation of the extract....
- one ounce of highest quality shake,
- three ounces of butter, mixed with
- three ounces of polyunsaturated oil (olive, canola, etc.)
- one crock pot
- cheese cloth and containers
Water wash all materials with hot rinse water for 30 minutes; then dry thoroughly. Everything that tastes bad in cannabis is water-soluble. The water wash is to bring good taste to green stuff. Grind shake in a food processor to a fine consistency. Melt butter in a crock pot set on low; stir in the trim powder while stirring constantly to mix. Cook in covered crock pot on the lowest setting for 2 - 4 hours. Add two ounces of high proof alcohol (Everclear, or comparable) to help extract cannabinoids early in the cook. The butter/oil will be a very dark green. Before it cools, pour the mix through a cheese cloth and squeeze into containers. Or, you might use a juicer to separate the roughage from the nectar (I like the Champion Juicer for the horsepower). Seal tight and store in the freezer. The residue from the pressing can be used to bake very potent brownies or cookies.
I also have a small supply of genuine Hemp Oil, created by a master herbalist, exactly from the recipe of ************. The strain is Northern Lights. One drop the size of a rice grain has the same effect as a tablespoon of my cannabutter, so I’m confident that the therapeutic effect is the same in the two different concentrations of high quality oil, even though the Hemp Oil is processed from buds, and cannabutter from shake (leaves and bud trim). Buds will generally give more THC, and the shake, more CBD.
Oops! What just happened? Did I just gain ten pounds? Hmm. Guess it’s true what they say about the munchies. Must get this turned around immediately. Less calories in; more calories out. Run more!
August 26, 2010
This journal was started to capture the ordinary as well as extraordinary events and experiences along this healing path. One of the unexpected effects of the cannabis is the apparent physical status improvement as shown by chiropractic adjustment. For the last several years I have gone for regular chiropractic spinal adjustments. Generally, I present with spinal misalignment, which then needs to be adjusted. Beginning in the same week I started cannabis treatment, I no longer needed adjustment. For the last eight weeks, without exception, I am suddenly presenting in perfect alignment. Interesting.
We are about nine weeks into this experiment and I’m noticing a couple of other things since starting the cannabis regimen. One, a chronic intestinal distress of two years has suddenly resolved. And the other is an increase in physical vitality. Since a very serious illness ten years ago I have been walking for exercise. Up to now, running was painful and exhausting, due to several orthopedic surgeries that didn’t go well. Just this week, the body has just wanted to run instead of walk. I’m starting slowly, walking some, running some; but in only one week my stride has started to stretch out nicely. This is completely unexpected.
September 1, 2010
Let’s take a side track here to understand how THC kills cancer in humans. First let’s look at what keeps cancer cells alive, then we will come back and examine how the cannabinoids CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) unravels cancer’s aliveness.
In every cell there is a family of interconvertible sphingolipids that specifically manage the life and death of that cell. This profile of factors is called the “Sphingolipid Rheostat.” If ceramide (a signaling metabolite of sphingosine-1-phosphate) is high, then cell death (apoptosis) is imminent. If ceramide is low, the cell is strong in its vitality.
Very simply, when THC connects to the CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptor site on the cancer cell, it causes an increase in ceramide synthesis which drives cell death. A normal healthy cell does not produce ceramide in the presence of THC, thus is not affected by the cannabinoid.
The cancer cell dies, not because of cytotoxic chemicals, but because of a tiny little shift in the mitochondria. Within most cells there is a cell nucleus, numerous mitochondria (hundreds to thousands), and various other organelles in the cytoplasm. The purpose of the mitochondria is to produce energy (ATP) for cell use. As ceramide starts to accumulate, turning up the Sphingolipid Rheostat, it increases the mitochondrial membrane pore permeability to cytochrome c, a critical protein in energy synthesis. Cytochrome c is pushed out of the mitochondria, killing the source of energy for the cell.
Ceramide also causes genotoxic stress in the cancer cell nucleus generating a protein called p53, whose job it is to disrupt calcium metabolism in the mitochondria. If this weren’t enough, ceramide disrupts the cellular lysosome, the cell’s digestive system that provides nutrients for all cell functions. Ceramide, and other sphingolipids, actively inhibit pro-survival pathways in the cell leaving no possibility at all of cancer cell survival.
The key to this process is the accumulation of ceramide in the system. This means taking therapeutic amounts of CBD and THC, steadily, over a period of time, keeping metabolic pressure on this cancer cell death pathway. 8
September 6, 2010
One of the first things a prostate patient notices is frequency and urgency. Oh good, there’s a drug for that: Flomax. There are some morbid side effects (for me nearly fatal), but it does reduce symptoms; and it is very expensive. We know that cannabinoids are anti-spasmodic; it seemed reasonable that cannabis might relax the urethral stricture, and take over for Flomax. Last week I stopped taking the Flomax; with no return of symptoms. This, too, was completely unexpected. I am delighted in the extreme to be without the expense and the side-effects.
I am quite encouraged by some of the signs along the way to a general awakening to the medical efficacy of cannabinoids. For instance, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on cannabis to the federal government (Dept. of Health and Human Services) for its health benefits in treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; stating specifically Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, HIV, and dementia. This is patent #6630507 granted in 2003. In fact, there are numerous prescription pharmaceuticals of synthetic THC. These are Dronabinol (Marinol), Sativex, and Nabilone. There is also HU-210 that is 100 times as potent as THC. These drugs are widely prescribed in the United States, Europe, and Asia. This tells me that certain sectors of our culture are already going full bore to put cannabis to work in the service of improving human health. We wait patiently for the remaining obstacles to fall away. Seems that a major obstacle is that a few still think that if a medicine has the side-effect of contented well-being, it needs to be illegal. Not sure what to think about that.
The primary complaint about the synthetic THC pharmaceuticals is that there are many other therapeutic cannabinoids in cannabis that are not represented in the pharmaceutical, which dilutes the effectiveness of a singular THC analog. To get around this, chemists have created HU-331 which is a synthetic cannabidiol and is used as a potent anti-cancer agent. Want to know how HU-331 kills cancer? It unravels the cancer cell’s DNA. That kills it for sure. If this doesn’t tell us anything, I have another story. Analyze mother’s milk and you will find the endocannabinoid 2-AG. All babies start life with this cannabis cocktail. Really, if this weren't healthy for us, it wouldn’t be in mother’s milk. 2-AG (arachnidonoylglycerol) is similar to anandamide, and is found in high concentrations in brain and spinal cord tissues. As such, it is a CB1 receptor agonist.
September 24th, 2010
It has been two months since beginning this alternative treatment with the herbal cannabinoids, with no adjunct treatment of chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation. What has been the effect of this radical excursion into self-treatment? In a routine prostate exam yesterday, the urologist determined that since he checked three months ago, the prostate has “substantially” decreased in size indicating remission of the tumor. Let’s put this news into perspective of how far we have really come. Looking at the details of the prostate biopsy Histology Report indicates that all six needle biopsy samples showed adenocarcinoma involving an average of 90% of tissue, with Gleason Scores of sevens and eights. Gleason scores range from one to eight with the highest score characteristic of highly aggressive cancer with the worst prognosis. This is huge to overcome in two months.
There is another indicator that is in play here. PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is useful for judging cancer activity. My PSA, as of last week, was measured as <0.1ng/mL. This means no activity at all. Normal range is 1 - 4. My previous PSA was 8.0, so we see how far we have progressed in two months. Actually, this is remarkable.
There is one other thing to note. In the months of treatment, taking very high doses of cannabinoid extract, what has been the effect on my daily life of this potent psychotropic? Not much, really. I take a large does before bed and a small dose in the morning. It took a week for my system to become accustomed to it, then it was life as usual of work and play.
As for the future; maybe I will decline two months of radiation that is planned to begin next month. This is the best news of my life. And it will be nice to continue to support this good health with nature’s best medicine for many more years.
January 12, 2011
During the prostate exam yesterday, the urologist, surprised at the shrinkage of the prostate and absence of pain on examination, said, “It’s hardly there any more, compared to the enlarged fully involved tumor we saw a few months ago.” We will do another biopsy of the prostate in a couple of weeks in order to get cytological examination of the tissue and to evaluate the presence or absence of adenocarcinoma. At this point I’m feeling optimistic. But we will not know anything until we see the pathology report of the biopsy. Of course we ran a PSA, which was essentially zero. This means that the immune system is not seeing any cancer activity. Same as three months ago.
January 25, 2011
Prostate biopsy today (ouch). The urologist observed that the prostate has shrunk to less than normal. A normal prostate will be about 36cc volume. Today mine measured 13cc’s. The doctor is encouraged by this, but we will wait until February 8th to get the tissue histology report to consider future therapy.
The prostate was so small, he could only get four biopsy samples, instead of the 6 or 8 that is normally taken. Glad that’s over. One nice little surprise during six months of cannabinoid therapy, is that I have not been sick all winter—no colds, flu, sinus. Given that cannabidiol is an immune system modulating agent we might expect that this would provide a quick resolution for diseases that trigger immune response. It’s also nice that I’m not hungry all the time any more.
February 8, 2011
The histology report of the prostate biopsy says that there is no cancer detectable. I’m very happy to have beat this insidious killer, thanks to so many who have helped me get to this place. Looking back I find it amazing that this deadly cancer was quickly wiped out using natural enzymes of the cannabis plant. Looking forward, how do I avoid the return of the dreaded adenocarcinoma that we know comes back in 70% of conventional therapy cases?
Perhaps the conditions are still present to reignite cancer invasion, considering that genetics might be a player in this little drama. Is there anything that will inhibit the formation of prostate cancer? It turns out that yes, currently available is an enzyme that kills prostate cancer stem cells. Now that the cancer cells are gone, gamma-tocotrienol will kill the arising stem cells that would potentially bring the cancer back. What is this gamma-tocotrienol, where did it originate and what does it do, exactly? Gamma-tocotrienol (y-T3) is an isomer of vitamin E that is extracted from palm oil.
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Stopping this cancer from spreading or returning is primary in choosing an appropriate therapy.9 Another pathway taken by gamma-tocotrienol to control prostate cancer stem cells is the up-regulation of the p53 protein. This is associated with the ejection of cytchrome c from the mitochondrial nucleus to the liquid matrix (cytosol) of cellular cytoplasm. Is this starting to sound familiar? This is the same pathway that THC and cannabidiol use in stimulating ceramide synthesis in the cancer cell to cause cell apoptosis. Essentially, the cannabinoids and gamma-tocotrienols are performing the same function along similar metabolic pathways to kill cancer and its stem cells.
This strategy appears likely to bring a long lifetime free of any cancer. That’s a good thing. But I’ve never been one to do whatever is just enough. I like beyond just enough, for most things. So what else can I do to eliminate the possibility of cancer recurrence? Pomegranate! As you can probably imagine from the taste of pomegranate it is loaded with a remarkable array of phenylpropanoids and ellagitannins. Since prostate cancer depends completely on testosterone to grow and spread, phenylpropanoids disrupts the communication between testosterone and the cell, thus leaving the cancer to wither.
Now, what does ellagitannins bring to the table? We know that rapid growth of cancer cells requires increased blood vessel formation (angiogenesis). Ellagitannins have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis in neoplastic tissue. Cancer growth is inhibited from lack of oxygen so cellular proliferation can not occur; thus again, apoptosis.10 This should do it; but ************ chimes in here also, he says that once the cancer is cleared, we can keep a maintenance routine of one regular dose every week or two that will kill any cancer before it aggregates into an active neoplasm.
Six months ago when I started taking massive amounts of cannabinoid extract, the burning question in my mind was, “What will happen when I quit taking this stuff? Will I become dependent. What will withdrawal be like?” I was a little afraid. At the end of the six month treatment I abruptly stopped the medication—and waited for withdrawal to happen. There were a couple of days I was a little cranky; but mostly, withdrawal was a non-event. I just didn’t feel any different. Contemplating this I wondered, why wasn’t it more traumatic.
The answer is simply this: in our normal physiology there is already the full array of endocannabinoid channels that the additional dosage supports. When the additional extract is withdrawn, the existing anandamide (our natural cannabinoid) metabolic pathways resume their normal function. The adjustment is very slight. Now that the cancer is gone, continuing metabolic support with pomegranate and tocotrienol, or cannabinoid support, will assure that it will never return.
I’ve been given a new life; it’s thrilling to contemplate the possibilities.
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