Some Cannabinoid Formulations Proved 100% Effective at Killing Tumors
Apollon Formularies, a medical marijuana company founded in 2014 in Jamaica, has used the country’s lax regulations to experiment with different strains and cannabinoid mixes to find the ones particularly effective in killing cancer cells in vitro.
An independent US laboratory has run a series of blind tests, using these formulations on the so-called 3D cell cultures of different types of tumors. The scientists were astounded by the results: 100% of cancers were killed within two weeks of treatment.
From Anecdotes to Hard Science
Dr. Stephen Barnhill, the founder of Apollon, came out of his retirement and began to research the effects of medical cannabis on cancer after seeing how the substance helped his mother fight pancreatic cancer.
In his former career, Dr. Barnhill got used to dealing with large-scale clinical trials and he wanted the same in his new field of research — to move from anecdotal evidence about grannies and friends of a friend to scientific data that can be quantified and replicated.
Independently Tested Cancer Killers
Thanks to a comprehensive license, Apollon could do research on cannabis of any chemical composition, including high-THC varieties. And Dr. Barnhill believes that THC plays an important role in stopping the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. He also stresses the holistic nature of cannabis as medicine where dozens of cannabinoids as well as aromatic substances create synergy and enhance each others’ effects.
At the same time, he is confident that certain ratios of the plant’s chemicals are more effective in killing cancers and that these ratios can be manipulated through strain selection and other methods.
The company’s proprietary formulas were tested by an independent lab, BIOENSIS. The lab used the 3D cell cultures of tumors which are spheroid tissue growths where a drug has to first get inside the tissue, not just work on the surface cells. Just like it happens in a real-life scenario. Apollon’s nano-emulsified cannabinoid formulations were able to penetrate the spheroid and kill the tumor within two weeks.
Regulatory Barriers in the Way to Something Really Huge
Unfortunately, what is achievable in Jamaica, is not yet possible in the UK. The country legalized medical cannabis in 2018, but the emerging industry is facing many obstacles. As far as cancer treatment is concerned, a UK patient can use cannabinoid therapy only after all other options have failed.
Stene Jacobs, Apollon’s Chief Operating Officer, says that if the regulations allowed people to switch to cannabis after one or two unsuccessful attempts, it would mean that patients would come to them with stage-two cancers and have a good chance to get well. After all else has failed, it’s usually stage four, and the success rate of cannabis therapy is much lower.
The most important thing at this moment is to start clinical trials of Apollon’s formulations so that their miraculous properties are known to the scientific community. After all, cancer is ‘the big prize’, and if medical cannabis is even marginally effective against the number one cause of death, it should be researched as soon as possible.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.
