We are used to the idea that medicines come from
pharmaceutical enterprises, after they did double blind
tests with them. But this is a plant, and you cannot
patent a plant and have the exclusive license
to sell it. That's why the pharmaceutical
enterprises are not interested in
doing very expensive tests with
cannabis, because at the end of a
positive test anyone could bring a
medication on the market.
I am glad that you bring that one up. I hear a lot of people
to have a similar effect is a silly thing to say. And to
talking as if cannabis can cure cancer, and that worries
state that there is no evidence is nonsense. There are
me. People who are not sophisticated about this will
mountains of anecdotal evidence which you cannot just
not go to a doctor and they will miss chemo treatment,
deny. We are used to the idea that medicines come from
radiation or surgery and just rely on cannabis. By acting
pharmaceutical enterprises, after they did double blind
like this they lose a lot of time because with cancer you
tests with them. But this is a plant, and you cannot patent
want to go as fast as you can to the doctor. So I think you
a plant and have the exclusive license to sell it. That's
cannot say that cannabis cures cancer. However, there are
why the pharmaceutical enterprises are not interested in
some properties of cannabis which in my view make it
doing very expensive tests with cannabis, because at the
very important that those patients use cannabis alongside
end of a positive test anyone could bring a medication on
the modern Western oncological treatment.
the market.
In cases of chemotherapy, for instance, they can use
cannabis to combat the side-effects of the treatment like
Are you saying that cannabis is a great medicine
distressful nausea. Cannabis can help as well to diminish
for the people but not for the pharmaceutical
the size of tumours which can be important when the
enterprises, for them it is worthless?
tumour causes an obstruction, it stimulates appetite and
Absolutely. Another reason why you should not worrying
in vitro it stops cancer cells from spreading, kills cancer
about using cannabis is because it is not toxic. I remember
cells and leaves healthy cells untouched and interferes
when I had for the first time a patient with Crohn disease,
with the blood flow in the tumour. So there are a number
even after surgery, she was still compromised in her work
of effects which shows that cannabis pushes back cancer.
because of it. So I said to her, I don't know if cannabis
This makes it important to use cannabis but along with
will help you enough but I would try it. If it doesn't help
the modern medicine. Nobody has proven to me so far
you, it surely is not going to hurt you.
that cannabis cures cancer, but for sure it is a very good
adjunct.
And today, if you read the medical literature, it has
become a very important treatment for people with Crohn
disease. Some people say to me you should not say to
In Belgium our minister of health Maggie De
people to use cannabis for this or for that. But that is
Block, who is a doctor as well, says you can't use
a silly thing, because it might help you and surely will
cannabis as a medicine because their is no proof
not hurt you. If it does help you, you are very fortunate
of it. According to her the only thing that is useful
because it has no side-effects and it will always be
is sativex and only for MS-patients. What is your
cheap. O
comment on that?
Let me start with saying that sativex is cannabis. To
say that you could use sativex and not smoke cannabis
ODYSSEY 54
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DIGIMAG
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