Researchers have announced that they’ve successfully identified a new cannabinoid—cannabielsoxa—produced by the marijuana plant as well as a number of other compounds “reported for the first time from the flowers of C. sativa.”
Researchers from South Korea, including government researchers and academics, also tested 11 cannabis compounds for their antitumor properties in neuroblastoma cell lines. They found that seven of the compounds “revealed a strong inhibitory effect.”
They noted that this is “the most common malignancy among infants and children in their first year of existence.”
The paper, published in this month’s issue of Pharmaceuticals by researchers from the University of California San Diego and the Journal Pharmaceuticals, describes how they used chromatographic methods to isolate these compounds. After examining their molecular compositions, they used metabolic testing to determine their toxicity towards neuroblastoma cancer cells.
This study was able to isolate a brand new cannabinoid compound, as well as six other cannabinoid substances, a chlorin type compound, and three more chlorine types compounds. These compounds were isolated for the very first time, from the flowers. C. sativa.”
Two of the compounds identified for the first time in cannabis—132-hydroxypheophorbide b ethyl ester and ligulariaphytin A—are described as “chlorin-type compounds.”
They, along with five other known cannabinoids—cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiolic acid methyl ester (CBDA-ME), delta-8 THC and cannabichromene (CBG)—”could be considered as the potential compounds for antitumor effects against neuroblastomas,” researchers found.
The paper states that the results of antitumor analysis “demonstrated cannabinoid compound’s stronger inhibitory effect on neuroblastoma cell than chlorin type compounds.”
Cannabielsoxa was not identified by researchers as being potentially toxic for neuroblastoma cell growth.
A 14-member team composed of representatives from government agencies and academic institutions, such as Wonkwang University and the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Other members included Kyung Hee University and Kookmin University.
Researchers in the United States published a “largest ever meta-analysis” of medical marijuana and its effect on cancer symptoms this month. They found “overwhelming consensus” regarding marijuana’s therapeutic benefits.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, analyzed data from 10,641 peer-reviewed studies—what authors say is more than ten times the number in the next-largest review on the topic. The study says that the results “indicate an increasing consensus among scientists regarding cannabis’ therapeutic benefits, particularly in cancer.”
The report describes the state of medical marijuana research as “scattered” and “hybrid”. Authors aimed to assess “the existing literature about medical cannabis, with a focus on its therapeutic potency, safety profiles and role in the treatment of cancer.”
“We expected controversy. We found overwhelming scientific consensus,” said Ryan Castle in a written statement. Castle is the head of research and lead author at Whole Health Oncology Institute. The scientific community says that this is “one of the most clear and compelling validations” of the use of cannabis for cancer treatment.
In a press release, the Whole Health Oncology Institute stated that “the meta-analysis showed that for each study which showed that cannabis was not effective, there were at least three studies that proved it to be beneficial.” “That 3:1 ratio—especially in a field as rigorous as biomedical research—isn’t just unusual, it’s extraordinary.”
According to the institute, “the level of agreement found here is comparable or even exceeds many other institutions.” [Food and Drug Administration]-approved medications.”
A separate study of medical marijuana patients in Minnesota, published in February, found that people with cancer who used cannabis reported “significant improvements in cancer-related symptoms.” The study also pointed out that marijuana’s high price can make it prohibitive for patients who are less well-off and could raise questions regarding the accessibility and affordability of cannabis therapy.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) late last year estimated that between about 20 percent and 40 percent of people being treated for cancer are using cannabis products to manage side effects from the condition and associated treatment.
According to the agency, “the growing popularity of marijuana products among cancer patients has been correlated with the number of states who have legalized medical cannabis use.” The research on cannabis has been slow to determine which products can be used safely and effectively for cancer symptoms or side effects.
The research that was referenced by the NCI included a number of reports from the JNCI Monographs journal. That package of 14 articles detailed the results of broad, federally funded cannabis surveys of cancer patients from a dozen agency-designated cancer centers across the country—including in areas where marijuana is legal, permitted only for medical purposes or still outlawed.
A total of just over a third (32.9%) reported cannabis use. Patients said they used it primarily as a treatment for cancer and its related symptoms, including sleep difficulties, pains and mood fluctuations. According to the report, “the most commonly perceived benefits were for pain, anxiety and stress, as well as treatment-related side effects.”
Separately, another recent study, in the journal Discover Oncology, concluded that a variety of cannabinoids—including delta-9 THC, CBD and cannabigerol (CBG)—”show promising potential as anticancer agents through various mechanisms,” for example by limiting the growth and spread of tumors. However, the authors acknowledge that obstacles remain to incorporate cannabis in cancer treatments, like regulatory barriers, and the need to establish optimal dosing.
Other recent research on the possible therapeutic value of lesser-known compounds in cannabis found that a number of minor cannabinoids may have anticancer effects on blood cancer that warrant further study.
While cannabis is widely used to treat certain symptoms of cancer and some side-effects of cancer treatment, there’s long been interest in the possible effects of cannabinoids on cancer itself.
According to a review of 2019 publications, most studies used in vitro methods, meaning that they were not conducted on humans. Instead, cancer cells isolated from human beings were tested, and some research was done using mice. Consistent with the latest findings, that study found cannabis showed potential in slowing the growth of cancer cells and even killing cancer cells in certain cases.
A separate study found that some cases, different types of cancer cells affecting the same part of the body appeared to respond differently to various cannabis extracts.
A scientific review of CBD last year also touched on “the diverse anticancer properties of cannabinoids” that the authors said present “promising opportunities for future therapeutic interventions in cancer treatment.”
Research from 2023 also found that marijuana use was associated with improved cognition and reduced pain among cancer patients and people receiving chemotherapy
The University of Colorado study found that while cannabis can produce intoxicating effects and the initial “high”, it may temporarily impair cognition. However, after using marijuana products purchased from licensed state dispensaries for two weeks, users began to report clearer thoughts.
In 2023 another study published by the American Chemical Society identified previously undiscovered cannabis molecules that challenged conventional knowledge about what gives cannabis its unique olfactory profile.
The National Institutes of Health in 2023 awarded researchers $3.2 million to study the effects of using cannabis while receiving immunotherapy for cancer treatment, as well as whether access to marijuana helps reduce health disparities.
On the political side, President Donald Trump’s recent choice to serve as the next White House drug czar has called medical marijuana a “fantastic” treatment option for seriously ill patients and said she doesn’t have a “problem” with legalization, even if she might not personally agree with the policy.
Under the Trump administration, “marijuana” is also now one of nearly two dozen “controversial or high-profile topics” that staff and researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are required to clear with higher-ups before writing about.
In a leaked memo, marijuana and opioids were listed along with COVID-19 vaccines, fluoride and measles as well as abortion, autism and diversity and gender ideologies. These are all believed to be the personal priorities of Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump.
NCI belongs to the National Institutes of Health. NIH is a division of Health and Human Services.
Prior to publishing anything on the specified topics, NCI staff are required to send the materials to an agency clearance team, says the new memo, first reported by ProPublica.
Staff are advised that depending on the content of the material, it may require additional clearance and review by the NCI directors and deputy directors as well as the NIH or HHS. The NCI Clearance Team shares the information with NCI Leadership, NIH and/or HHS in some instances.
The New Marijuana Research Center is Launched by the Federal Government
Mike Latimer is the photographer.