For those not familiar, ID1 is a gene associated with aggressive tumor growth and angiogenesis (growth of blood vessels) in many cancers. Regulation of the gene is a target of pharmaceutical companies trying to control cancer’s tumor growth and metastatic behavior. Recent evidence shows that a compound already exists to do just that and it isn’t toxic like many chemotherapies. Here are a few articles that help you understand that using CBD should be taken seriously by people looking for a non-toxic way to live with their cancer.
‘In humans, the Id-1 gene is found only in metastatic cancer cells, said Desprez, a staff scientist at the institute. Before birth, they are present and involved in the development of human embryos, but after birth, they go silent — and should stay that way, he said. But in metastatic cancer “when [the genes] wake up, they are very bad,” he said. “They push the cells to behave like embryonic cells and grow. They go crazy, they proliferate, they migrate.” Desprez said, “We need to be able to turn them off.”‘
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=4509456&page=1
“…CBD represents the first nontoxic exogenous agent that can significantly decrease Id-1 expression in metastatic breast cancer cells leading to the down-regulation of tumor aggressiveness.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18025276
“…we then show that treatment with CBD significantly reduces primary tumor mass as well as the size and number of lung metastatic foci in two models of metastasis.”
CBD for Treating Addiction
I think it’s important to highlight this little known information, especially at a time when opioid addiction is so high, causing deaths and creating orphans at a rate states are having a hard time “dealing with”–a poor phrase to have to use when referring to children. I also know there are many people who are trying to help those with opioid addiction that are feeling hopeless, but maybe they don’t have to feel that way anymore. I know for many the idea of treating addiction with a compound derived from a plant that they have been told is a dangerous drug is counter-intuitive, but it’s important to treat CBD as its own compound. If CBD can help, than let’s not be stuck in our ways when thinking about it. For your education…
Here is a link to scientific papers concerning the use of CBD to treat addiction: https://www.projectcbd.org/addiction-alcoholism
And a quote from one of those papers:
“CBD is an exogenous cannabinoid that acts on several neurotransmission systems involved in addiction. Animal studies have shown the possible effects of CBD on opioid and psychostimulant addiction, while human studies presented some preliminary evidence of a beneficial impact of CBD on cannabis and tobacco dependence. CBD has several therapeutic properties on its own that could indirectly be useful in the treatment of addiction disorders, such as its protective effect on stress vulnerability and neurotoxicity. “
–from: “Cannabidiol as an Intervention for Addictive Behaviors: A Systematic Review of the Evidence .”
If you are like most Americans, when you hear the word cannabis, marijuana, or hemp you probably think about THC, but as it turns out that is only a small piece of the puzzle. Some of the effects that we have associated with THC can be credited to Terpenes, the compounds that create the smell associated with most flowers and plants. They are why one strain of marijuana can cause you to clean the house, where another will get you binge watching your favorite TV show. Understanding that the cannabis plant is not all about a schedule I drug called THC is important if you want to realize the many and varied healing properties of the cannabis plant. When I first heard of CBD, I really could have cared less, but that’s because I knew nothing about it. I was further turned off by people’s zealot like attitude toward cannabis. Little did I know that studying the chemistry of cannabis would completely open my mind to it and other aromatics–think essential oils, who’s healing properties I had always regarded as near-quackery. Oops! Luckily, the key to not being a dumbass is knowledge!
Here are some informational links on this topic that will also give you an idea about some of the nuanced treatments of which cannabis is capable:
The 2018 Farm Bill Passed!
Yay! This is a step in the right direction. CBD is federally legal now…
https://www.consumerreports.org/marijuana/will-new-farm-bill-make-cbd-legal-everywhere/