CBD and Bone Cancer
The Endocannabinoid System or ECS is involved in many physiological processes in the human body, and its receptors (CB1 and CB2) are present in almost all organs and mammalian tissues.
One of the responsibilities of the ECS is regulating bone cell growth, differentiation, as well as tumor growth within the bone cells (1). Because of the discovery of the CB1 and CB2 receptors being present in osteoblasts and osteoclasts (The two different cells that build and break down bone) we can utilize them as a target receptor system to address different degenerative bone diseases (more on this to come soon), including the growth of bone tumors and bone cancer (1).
Check this out…
Bone cancer hits home for me because it is what my father-in-law succumbed to. Many people throughout the United States are still suffering from bone cancer and the side effects of conventional cancer treatment can make it that much worse when it comes to quality of life.
This year (2023) it was estimated that there will be 3,970 new cases of bone and joint cancer this year and 2,140 of those cases resulting in death (53% death rate) (2). This means that there is a HUGE problem when it comes to bone cancer. In my opinion, anything with a 52% mortality rate means that conventional medicine isn’t successful in treating and eradicating bone and joint cancer, which means we need to continue to search for alternative treatments to improve the survival rate of bone and joint cancer.
This is where cannabinoid therapy gets the spotlight.
The reason why these plant compounds have these powerful anticancer properties is due to the plant’s extracted compounds, which include cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, etc. that are all working together for the greater good.
While CBD has anticancer properties, I would not recommend something like our Full Spectrum 500mg strength CBD Oil (about 17mg/dose) to take advantage of the anticancer properties, it is too diluted. We need a more concentrated form of these plant oils to take advantage of the anticancer properties that CBD has to offer. This is where high dose CBD comes in. After reading about cannabis extract (FECO/RSO) for a few years and then reading an article by the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) Oncology Issue, I read where these studies were discussing high dose CBD and how effective it was for treating various cancers, as well as improving the quality of life for these cancer patients by improving the effectiveness of their chemotherapy treatment in eradicating the cancer stem cells, all while reducing the side effects from chemotherapy (3). Talk about a win for the people!
So, I did some research awhile back and saw that some medical marijuana dispensaries sell Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) or FECO, but it was primarily THC with little to no THC. The studies I was reading discussed CBD as the primary anti-cancer cannabinoid, although they all need to be present, including THC (full spectrum) to improve or enhance each cannabinoid’s potential (known as the entourage effect).
So, I started to make High Dose CBD Capsules that were about 535mg of CBD per capsule. The capsule form makes it easy to swallow the concentrated extract because it is a sticky mess if you are trying to consume it on food.
Let’s dive into it…
Because this receptor system (ECS) controls bone homeostasis, growth, repair, and reabsorption, this gives us a target receptors system that we can use to address degenerative bone diseases like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, pain, and inflammation (more of this to come in a video presentation soon), and lastly, bone cancer.
Activation of the CB1 and CB2 receptors was shown to inhibit bone cancer cell proliferation, reduce tumor cell invasion, cause tumor regression, and prevent metastasis of bone tumors (1). Activating these receptors was also shown to cause cell death (apoptosis) for these bone tumor cells, which is huge, especially with the 53% mortality rate.
In short, CBD and THC acts on CB1 and CB2 receptors, which was shown to affect the metabolic pathway in which these tumor cells grow and divide, but we still don’t know all the little details. This means that there is still so much to learn about these plant compounds and how we can use them to address different disease processes, including various cancers like bone cancer.
Although we do not know the exact “why” behind these anticancer properties and the metabolic pathway they affect, there is no denying the fact that the activation of these receptors by cannabinoids such as CBD and THC regulated the growth and induced cell death of these tumor cells.
Cheers to these safe and effective plant compounds with amazing anticancer and antitumor properties.
This is plant medicine.
Bee Well,
Brandon Farless
References
- Xin, Y., Tang, A., Pan, S., & Zhang, J. (2021a, December 23). Components of the endocannabinoid system and effects of cannabinoids against Bone Diseases: A mini-review. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.793750/full
- Cancer of the bones and joints - cancer stat facts. SEER. (n.d.). https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/bones.html
- Tennessee Oncology, Tennessee. (2022). Oncology Issues, 37(4), 10–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463356.2022.2093583
