A drug derived from cannabis could help to beat brain cancer. Cannabidiol, or CBD – a non-psychoactive chemical compound in marijuana – can slow tumour growth and kill malignant cells.
It could prove a useful therapy for aggressive brain cancer in humans and even dogs. The findings come from a study by American researchers looking at glioblastoma - an often deadly form of brain cancer that grows and spreads rapidly.
It is the most common high grade, or fast growing, brain tumour in adults with a very low survival rate, despite advances in treatment.
They found CBD slowed cancer cell growth and was toxic to human and canine glioblastoma cell lines. And there was little difference in the anti-cancer effects of CBD isolate and extract.