Can marijuana really stop the spread of cancer?

Researchers in the US have claimed that a chemical found in marijuana can help stop the spread of an aggressive cancer. No, really.

A week barely passes without some study claiming that eating loads of chocolate won’t actually make you fat or ten pints of Guinness a day are good for you (last two examples may be slightly exaggerated) so these things should always be taken with a pinch of salt, but the latest one is an interesting one nonetheless.

According to a report on the Huffington Post, two scientists at California Pacific Medical Centre in San Francisco have found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, which could have a profound effect on the fatal effects of the disease in the future.

The scientists in question, Pierre Desprez and Sean McAllister, have been conducting research into the matter for a number of years and have discovered that a non-toxic compound, Cannabidiol, found in the cannabis plant can help stop the ID-1 gene that causes cancer to spread.

Laboratory and animal testing has already been carried out and Desprez and McAllister hope to begin clinical trials in the immediate future.

"It took us about 20 years of research to figure this out, but we are very excited," Desprez, told The Huffington Post. "We want to get started with trials as soon as possible."

While those fond of smoking the reefer will use it as further evidence to support their choice, it isn’t just as simple as lighting up and letting the hash do its thing. In fact, it doesn't work like that at all.

"We used injections in the animal testing and are also testing pills," Desprez added.

"But you could never get enough Cannabidiol for it to be effective just from smoking."