It has long been known that the various compounds (cannabinoids) found within the cannabis plant have amazing healing capabilities, particularly when it comes to fighting cancer.
The American mainstream media finally began to catch on after Dr. Sanjay Gupta went primetime on CNN with his groundbreaking documentary, simply titled WEED. Almost overnight, the acronym “CBD” had entered households and vocabularies who would otherwise never consider any form of cannabis.
Dr. Gupta showed amazing success stories of children who found massive amounts of relief from the physical ailments by ingesting pastes or oils derived from CBD-heavy marijuana plants. Many parents across a skeptical nation found their own relief in the fact that these medications have been touted as containing little or no THC – the actual psychoactive ingredient in ganja that “gets you high”.
In 2003, a man named Rick Simpson was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer on his face and neck. After limited success under the surgeon’s scalpel, Simpson made a move much larger than he could have possibly imagined at the time.
He extracted cannabis oils from a marijuana plant, and applied the resulting oil on a bandage which he applied to some of the troublesome cancer spots the doctor had pointed out. Within a week, many of the spots were completely gone.
Of course, his doctors denied his explanations outright, and Simpson fought for his freedom and reputation off and on until 2008 when he produced the cult classic film “Run From the Cure”.
His original video has been viewed millions of times, helping countless patients find their own cure, and inspiring an entire generation to build upon his early trailblazing work.
The truth is that these days old school Rick Simpson Oil may or may not be the best medicine for all needs. From college campuses to garage “labs”, trial and error seems to be the leading tactic as everyone tries to find that perfect cannabinoid balance from the perfect strain of cannabis.
Simpson’s method of using grain alcohol in the extraction process is outdated, and potentially hazardous. The alcohol-based solvent, at the high temperatures prescribed by Mr. Simpson is now known to be too extreme an environment for preserving ideal cannabinoid levels.
That’s not to say it is not still effective for many users, because when prepared correctly, it most certainly is. The latest success story (of many) is from a 63-year-old British man by the name of Mike Cutler.
Mr. Cutler’s tale mirrors that of Rick Simpson’s quite closely.
Seeking a last resort, Cutler made his own “RSO”, and sure enough, within a matter of days, his symptoms began to vanish.
“All I had in those dark days was my laptop, and that’s when I began searching for something else that could help me – I couldn’t accept that I was going to die, “said Cutler.
“When I found out I was cured I was just completely shocked,” he added, “I’m a normal family man, not a druggie. I had a serious illness and this helped. I can’t believe cannabis oil isn’t being used regularly as treatment, it is a miracle cure. The NHS should use it – it would save money.”
Yet predictably, even when announcing results of studies showing weed destroying brain cancer cells, the anti-homegrown-cure faction of the medical community makes sure to blurt out caveats like, “Our research uses an isolated chemical compound and using the correct concentration is vital. Cancer patients should not use cannabis to self-medicate, but I hope that our research will lead to a safe synthetic equivalent being available in the future.”
As both scientists and intuitive stoners alike begin to explore the macro world of varying cannabinoid profiles, even legitimate laboratories worldwide are definitely finding that by fine-tuning the balance between CBD and THC, different ratios can be dialed in to help cure different ailments.
But with a revolutionary (and in many cases highly illegal) new form of healing, “self-medicating” is the name of the game, doc.
The herb affects everyone a little bit differently, and everyone likes certain strains over others…but it’s safe to say that everybody would agree that nobody is interested in waiting for Big Pharma’s version of a “synthetic equivalent”.
While CBD-heavy strains have been shown to provide miraculous help for children suffering from seizures, for example, THC all too often serves as a whipping post in the debate about pot.
The fact is, new studies out of England have confirmed recent findings by the National Institutes of Health here in the US, showing that THC can play a potentially game-changing role in the treatment of all types of cancer.
There are over 80 known cannabinoids that can be found in a marijuana plant. The two most commonly discussed are Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD).
THC is known as an effective anti-depressant, as well as a great appetite enhancer and a great natural cure for insomnia. Plus, it makes Family Guy funnier.
CBD, on the other hand, can provide deep pain relief, incredible anti-inflammatory properties, and almost unrivaled relief with muscle spasms and epilepsy.
In many cases still operating and experimenting under the shadow of illegality, today’s pioneers of cannabis extraction methods are truly on the verge of concocting that perfect blend of cannabinoids that conquers cancer once and for all – whether the rest of society is ready or not.