Tenerife, Spain: A Spanish research team has announced that they will commence the first human study examining THC’s potential to protect patients against the development of certain types of cancerous tumors.
Five volunteers suffering from malignant brain tumors – known as gliomas – will participate in the three-year patient trial. Researchers said they do not expect THC to cure the condition – for which there is currently no effective treatment – but do hope to extend the patients’ survival. Volunteers will be administered THC intracranially.
Animal studies indicate that marijuana may stave certain types of tumors. A previous Spanish study published in Nature Medicine found that injections of synthetic THC eradicated malignant brain tumors in one-third of treated rats, and prolonged life in another third by up to six weeks. In addition, a two-year federal study by the U.S. National Toxicology Program found that mice and rats administered high doses of THC had greater protection against malignancies than untreated controls.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751.