Cannabis Agonist Reduces Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Tumor Growth, Study Says

[Jimbo]

June 26, 2008 - Stockholm, Sweden


Stockholm, Sweden: The administration of the cannabinoid agonist R(+)-MA halts the spread and growth of cancerous tumors in animals with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to preclinical data published in the current issue of the International Journal of Cancer. Investigators at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm reported that mice treated with R(+)-MA experienced a 40 percent reduction in tumor weight.
"The anti-proliferative and proapoptotic (stimulated cell death) effects of cannabinoids make the endocannabinoid system a potential new therapeutic target for individualized therapy in lymphomas," authors concluded.
Earlier this year, the journal Cancer Research reported that the administration of cannabinoids halts the spread of a wide range of cancers, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and brain cancer.
NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano has a review of pot's anti-cancer properties online at the Huffington Post.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director. Full text of the study, "Expression of cannabinoid receptors type 1 and type 2 in non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Growth inhibition by receptor activation," appears in the September issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

updated: Jun 26, 2008

Cannabis Agonist Reduces Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Tumor Growth, Study Says - NORML