We are taking a closer look at Dr. Tashkin study of cannabis and its effect on the lungs. Dr. Tashkin is a pulmonary specialist and Federal Government researcher from UCLA. He has investigated the effects of drugs on the human body for over three decades.
In 1990 Dr. Tashkin found that cannabis smoke contains almost the same cancer-causing agents as tobacco smoke. This study was the cause for the government to say that cannabis smoke was very damaging. As it was proven that tobacco smoke is responsible for lung cancer the government also thought that cannabis has to have the same effect. The fact that the government gave Dr. Tashkin a substantial grant to conduct the research is interesting but the results weren’t what the government expected – testing over 2000 people Dr. Tashkin failed to prove the connection between smoking cannabis and lung cancer. His study and findings were ignored.
The study started with the belief that cannabis smoke should cause lung cancer as it contains a high level of carcinogenic agents. But the findings showed that cannabis smokers had the same level of developing lung cancer as non-smokers. Also, there was evidence that people who smoked cannabis had lower numbers of lung cancer than people who didn’t smoke at all. Dr. Tashkin was proposing that maybe cannabis contains such strong anti-cancer agents called cannabinoids that prevent cancer development even when there are cancer-causing agents.
Dr. Tashkin was surprised when he found that instead of contracting the airways, cannabis smoke had a dilating effect and that wasn’t the only notable difference from tobacco smoke that he noticed. He also found that tobacco smoke leaves four times more tar in our lungs than cannabis smoke. He also discovered that the lung function did not decline for cannabis smokers as it did for tobacco smokers.
Like Dr. Tashkin more scientist conducted different studies over the years. And they found that the way cannabis works is brilliant, it only kills cancer cells and will not touch healthy ones. Therefore it doesnt cause massive side effects and can be non-toxic. Research is also showing that CBD helps to stop breast cancer developing. In another report from 2008, we find that cannabis treatment prevents the spread of cancers like prostate, lung, skin, brain, and lymphoma.
In 2003 Dr. Guzman found that cannabis does control the spread or brain tumors. He said that cannabis compounds find and kill cancer cells but will not affect the healthy cells next to it. They stop the blood flow inside a tumor and interfere with cancer cells spreading in other parts of the body, which slows the growth of a tumor.
Leaving healthy cells untouched might make cannabis a much better option for the human body than debilitating pharmaceutical drugs used today. Medical cannabis could also be a great addition to cancer treatment as it works well with other medications and chemotherapy.
If we now know that cannabis can inhibit the growth of cancer cells should it not be appropriate to take cannabis as a supplement to prevent cancer like we take other supplements to prevent other conditions in our body. We take calcium for stronger bones; we take iron for better blood, why can’t we legally take cannabis supplements to prevent cancer?
