Pubdate: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT) Copyright: 2011 The Billings Gazette Contact: http://billingsgazette.com/app/contact/?contact=letter Website: http://www.billingsgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/515 Author: Russ Richter Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n181/a06.html?1121 CANNABINOIDS MAY FIGHT CANCER In response to Gary Smith's March 18 letter, I am a recent leukemia survivor. FDA approved cancer drugs that I was given, for me, caused horrific and unbearable side effects. According to a 1998 JAMA article, pharmaceutical side effects kill at least 106,000 Americans per year. The compounds under study in cannabis, such as THC, are called "cannabinoids." Right now the world's pharmaceutical corporations are investing millions researching cannabinoid drugs for their impressive anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. All vertebrates possess an internal marijuana system, called the endocannabinoid system, which is now proven to regulate homeostasis for every organ system in the entire body. Curious people should go to www.pubmed.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine, and type "cannabinoids" and "cancer" into the search engine. You will find over 600 recent references that for the most part show not only the cancer-cell killing properties of cannabis but also that it possesses important anti-metastatic activity. Similar references can be found for autoimmune diseases and virtually all age-related and inflammatory illnesses. I strongly recommend all videos available on YouTube.com for a Dr. Robert Melamede Ph.D., the Chairman of Biology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Another good reference is U.S. Patent #6,630,507 awarded to the U.S. government in 2003. Russ Richter Billings - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.