At the microscopic level, our bodies are comprised of trillions of cells. Cells are constantly splitting and reproducing themselves and as new cells develop, old ones die. They do not die a natural death but continue to split and grow. The ongoing challenge to cancer research workers has been to discover a way to selectively kill tumor cells without killing healthy cells.

Medical science has yet to discover a way to do this, but nature has supplied us with a material that may achieve what lab scientists cannot. That material is THC, the active component in the cannabis sativa plant. THC is the most active of the compounds known as cannabinoids which are present in all marijuana plants.

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What are the effects of THC?

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical compound that’s responsible for producing psychological ‘high’ effects. When ingested, THC works by stimulating brain cells that produce dopamine and create a euphoric feeling. The effects from THC generally last about two hours, but impairment could continue after the high has worn off.

THC can be added to cannabis products such as edibles, oils, syrups, and lotions. This compound has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and is a common remedy for those suffering from pain or nausea. In small doses, it can also be given to animals to calm anxiety or relieve pain.

THC has long been used by those undergoing chemotherapy to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer medications. It has also been shown to work as an appetite stimulant for those with AIDS.

Now that you know what THC is, maybe you’d like to learn about another cannabinoid called THCA. Check out our article to learn the differences between THC and THCA.

The history of THC in the U.S.

THC is the component that produces the high from cannabis. While cannabis has been used throughout the world for hundreds of years to treat dozens of ailments, with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 it suddenly became unavailable to neither the public nor the healing professions in the US. At the same time, medical schools in the U.S. terminated the study of all plant-based medications in support of the study, promotion and use of artificial, lab-produced drugs. In 1974, the NIH gave a research team in the Medical College of Virginia financing to study THC so as to find signs that it damaged the resistance system.

While they neglected in there appointed mission, the team did find the startling fact that THC shrank tumors in there lab mice. The news quickly appeared publicly and FDA suddenly ordered the team to halt there search and confiscated the outcomes of there findings. In 1976, President Nixon signed a law banning research into the therapeutic advantages of most cannabinoids except by pharmaceutical companies.

Since that time, the only research done in the U.S. has been in trying to produce synthetic THC which has no psychotropic effects. In 1998, scientists in Complutense University School of Biology in Madrid, Spain undertook reports on mice so as to determine how THC made the task of killing cancer cells without also damaging other cells within the body.

How does THC work to kill tumors?

THC acts to inhibit angiogenesis or the development of new blood cells in tumors. Like cancers, tumors require a supply of blood in order to grow. When the supply of blood is cut off throughout the tumors of anti-angiogenesis triggered by THC, the cancer cells die. THC encourages cancer cell death by a process called autophagy, the consumption of the body’s own tissue as a metabolic process.

What is the difference between THC and CBD?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, CBD has been federally legalized and is now available for purchase in every state in the U.S. CBD has been shown to have many health benefits including:

Pain relief
Anxiety relief
Stress relief
Depression relief
Help with reducing acne
Improved heart health
Reducing inflammation
Alleviating cancer-related symptoms

You may notice that THC and CBD have some of the same benefits. So what is the difference between THC and CBD? The main difference between these two naturally occurring compounds is that CBD doesn’t have any psychoactive properties. This means if you ingest CBD, you won’t be left feeling high or disoriented in any way. CBD is a great option for people who want to reap all the benefits of THC but don’t want to feel impaired at all.

If you’d like to learn more about CBD, check out our article where we answer all your questions about CBD.

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