CHEMICAL IN POT PROVIDES SOME RELIEF

Naomi was three days out from her breast cancer chemotherapy
treatment. She knew this was when side effects would begin to take
over her life -- nausea, severe anxiety, intestinal cramping and
diarrhea. As grateful as she was for the chemo, she dreaded these "lost days."

Naomi was skilled at choosing the best drugs to help her get through
the hard times. She had plenty of prescriptions, and they did help
somewhat, but this time she had agreed to try something new. She
plugged in a small vaporizer that had been readied with a tiny bit of
cannabis, and she slowly inhaled the resulting vapor. She was pleased
that there was no irritating smoke to deal with, but that is not what
brought tears of gratitude to her eyes. Within seconds of inhaling
the vapor, her symptoms melted away. She had never experienced such
rapid and complete relief, and although the effects did not last very
long, she knew she had found good medicine.

Naomi had been given some "High CBD" cannabis. She has lived with
metastatic breast cancer for more than four years and has avoided
cannabis most of that time -- unwilling to tolerate the psychoactive
side effects of marijuana. She did not like the feeling of being
stoned. But cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid,
different from THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in that it does not confer a high.

Cannabis has over 420 chemical compounds, including more than 80
cannabinoids that are not found in any other plant. Only a few are
psychoactive -- like THC -- and for years the plant has been bred for
increasingly concentrated levels of THC. There are numerous medical
benefits to THC, but the psychoactive side effects limit its use in
many situations.

The discovery of the therapeutic qualities in CBD began more than 20
years ago. In 1988, scientists first identified cannabinoid receptors
in the human brain. Over the next 10 years, receptors would be
discovered in the immune system, gut, liver, heart, kidneys, bones
and blood vessels.

But the body only has receptors for naturally occurring internal
substances, so scientists suspected there must be a THC-like compound
occurring innately in the human body. In 1992, the first of these
"endocannabinoids" was identified and the International Cannabinoid
Research Society was formed.

Studies on cannabinoids are being done by reputable scientists in
many countries, including Israel, Italy, Spain, the U.S. and Britain.
These labs are uncovering therapeutic effects of previously unknown
or ignored chemical compounds in cannabis -- chemicals like CBD, the
substance Naomi found so helpful.

CBD-rich cannabis has exciting potential for breast cancer patients.
Clinical studies show it to be safe, nontoxic and effective for many
medical uses including chronic pain, anxiety and side effects of
cancer treatments. But there is more to the CBD cannabinoid than
symptom relief.

In the lab, CBD has a direct effect on cancer cells. Pre-clinical
studies have shown it to reduce the aggressiveness of breast cancer
cells. In addition, by affecting an active gene found only in
metastatic cancer, CBD can also inhibit the progression of metastatic
breast cancer.

Scientists believe that the Id-1 gene is one of the genes responsible
for the metastatic spread of breast cancer. This gene is
appropriately active when humans are developing embryos. Then it
becomes silent, and it should stay silent. But in metastatic breast
cancer, this gene wakes up and stimulates cancer cells to multiply
and invade healthy tissue. If scientists could find a way to turn it
off again, they could block the progress of metastatic breast cancer.

In 2007, a research lab at California Pacific Medical Center in San
Francisco found CBD to be the first known nontoxic agent that can
significantly inhibit the Id-1 gene.

Breast cancer, when localized, is treatable. It is only when it
recurs and spreads throughout the body that it becomes deadly. The
development of new treatments to prevent and treat metastatic breast
cancer is essential to finding a cure, and the cannabinoid CBD may be
a valuable tool in this quest.

Some medical marijuana dispensaries in California are beginning to
test and label the relative percentages of THC and CBD in their
products. CBD-rich strains are becoming available in some of these
more reputable dispensaries. Outside the US, a mouth spray developed
by GW Pharmaceuticals, made of whole plant extracts, is obtainable.
Available by prescription in over 22 countries, Sativex contains
equal parts THC and CBD. The CBD balances out some of the
psychoactive effects of THC, making Sativex more palatable to the
general public.

Medical cannabis can be good medicine for patients going through
breast cancer therapy, but many -- like Naomi -- are uncomfortable
with the unwanted side effects. High-CBD strains of cannabis hold
promise for providing relief and possible tumor suppression, without toxicity.