SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Medical marijuana and its psychoactive ingredient THC already provide relief, and often an accompanying buzz, for thousands of patients fighting cancer.
But more than five years ago, researchers at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco began focusing their attention on a far tamer compound in the marijuana plant, an ingredient called cannabidiol.
“Cannabidiol is a non-toxic agent from cannabis that is not psychoactive,” says Sean McAllister, Ph.D., a lead researcher in the group’s recent study.
McAllister and colleague Pierre Desprez, Ph.D., now believe they are ready for human trials, using the compound to treat metastatic cancer. The pair has produced a synthetic version of cannabidiol, also known as CBD, which they say targets a specific gene in the body related to the spread of cancer.
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