A team of researchers at Harvard, identified an anti-cancer potential for one of the active ingredients in cannabis, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
THC acts on pair of receptors, CB1 and CB2. The receptors are found in the brain and peripheral tissues; CB1 activation in the brain is responsible for the psychoactive effects of the drug, CB1 activation in the circulation causes a decrease in blood pressure, and CB2 is involved in modulating immune function.
It has also been noted that CB1 and CB2 receptors are present in biopsy samples from lung cancer patients and from lung cancer cell lines. In this current study, the researchers found that treatment with THC inhibited growth in these cell lines, and also reduced tumor size and weight in a mouse model of lung cancer.