The Cure for Cancer is Illegal – The Mistake of The American Justice System

Devin Bost

Jan 26, 2014

Imagine an America where cancer patients could take only one drug that would stop their cancer from spreading[1], target and fix the genetic code of malignant cells[2], and prevent the cancer from ever returning[3]. Wouldn’t life be easier if American families never experienced contention resulting from the rising costs of health care, the rising costs of medications, and the increasingly dangerous side effects of novel drugs? This America is the America of tomorrow because these concepts are deeply rooted in the greatest medical discovery of the 21^st century, but there is a catch. We have a malignant law that is withholding research and development of these compounds; we have a fractured law that is preventing our businesses from developing these medicines. This broken law is a great and powerful law that has protected our children[4] from intoxicated drivers[5], protected our families from violent crimes, and protected our property from drug related thefts. However, when Congress enacted the Controlled Substances Act – there is one scientific discovery that our Congressional representatives never could have anticipated: Cannabidiol, the greatest medical discovery in our nation’s history, is derived from one of the most dangerous plants on Earth. (That plant is cannabis, and it is commonly known by the public as “marijuana.”) Due to the miraculous medical properties of cannabidiol, we the People of the United States have an ethical duty to regulate the lawful research, manufacturing, and distribution of pharmaceutical cannabinoids.

The United States is one of the only countries worldwide in which it is a felony to grow industrial hemp[6] for purposes such as exporting biofuel substrates, exporting textiles or fibrous materials, or researching and developing novel drugs.  There is a reason: Types of cannabis have been selectively bred[7] by drug cartels and addicts to produce a dangerous[8], intoxicating[9], and addictive[10] compound called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC changes the way cannabidiol acts upon the body[11] – thereafter producing a narcotic effect and inducing reinforcing properties when consumed. THC prevents learning[12], impairs spatial memory,[13] and induces psychosis – especially if consumed during adolescence.[14] Furthermore, prenatal exposure[15] to THC causes behavioral birth defects[16], mutated brain development[17], permanent reduction in infant brain functions[18], and fetal death[19]. THC exacerbates schizophrenic symptoms, psychotic behavior, learning and recall deficits, and cognitive deficits.[20] THC also sensitizes the brain to become more easily addicted[21] to other dangerous drugs[22] (e.g. heroin[23] and methamphetamine)[24].[25] So, what happens when we remove the THC from cannabis? We are given a miracle compound: cannabidiol.

Cannabidiol permanently changes the parts of our genetic code, even the parts of our genetic code that create dangerously[26] aggressive[27] cancerous cells[28] and result in inevitable death.[29] Cannabidiol selectively targets[30] these cancerous cells[31] and destroys[32] them (i.e. apoptosis), prevents tumors[33] from creating new blood[34] vessels[35] (i.e. inhibition of angiogenesis), and removes the genes in our bodies that produce the proteins[36] that are causing[37] the cancerous cells[38] to form in the first place[39] (i.e. genetic refactoring). Therefore, cannabidiol stops cancer from growing[40] and prevents cancer[41] from invading[42] other cells (i.e. inhibition of proliferation).[43] Never before has man discovered a drug that treats cancer by simultaneously leveraging apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis, inhibiting proliferation, and refactoring mutated genes. Cannabidiol is the single greatest hope for cancer patients that scientists have ever discovered.[44] Until we make it legal for cancer patients to obtain this compound, our law is obliterating any hope that these people deserve.

When we consider that radiation and many chemotherapy[45] drugs are actually carcinogenic,[46] cause permanent sterility[47], create serious occupational[48] safety[49] hazards,[50] and produce environmental hazards[51], it becomes clear that there is nobody physically[52] and psychologically[53] suffering more[54] than the people receiving chemotherapy[55] and radiation[56] treatment.  Many chemotherapy drugs are classified as chemical weapons (e.g. nitrogen mustard agents), according to the international Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993. Yet, according to our laws, it is legal to administer these weapons to the sick! Meanwhile, cannabidiol is still a felony to manufacture! How ethical is that? Radiation therapy also causes cognitive decline[57], heart disease[58], and a myriad of disturbing and painful side effects[59].[60] Perhaps the second most valuable[61] area of contemporary drug development research[62] is the beacon of light that cannabinoids[63] offer for novel[64] treatment[65] of multiple sclerosis (MS)[66]. Cannabidiol prevents the progressive disability[67] and symptoms[68] that occurs in multiple sclerosis. Recently, the neuroprotective potential of cannabidiol was discovered to ameliorate (i.e. reverse)[69] disease progression due to numerous properties[70] of these types of cannabinoids[71]. Are we going to wait idly for somebody to inform our congressional leaders of the injustice that is destroying the lives of these people? Or are we going to solve this problem now?

We the People of the United States must regulate the lawful manufacturing, distribution, sale, and exportation of commercial cannabis and hemp derivatives. Such a law will promulgate the fiscal incentives for future research and development on this subject, provide the American people with a new private sector and industry for job growth and provide the American people with an innovative means for financing our rising budget deficit (without inflicting further taxes upon our existing businesses). [72] In an interpretive ruling, the DEA stipulated, “Congress would not have adopted the 1970 statute in its present form if it had been aware of the effect on cultivation of plants for industrial uses. . . [T]he 1970 Congress did not address the possibility that portions of the cannabis plant excluded from the definition of marijuana might contain THC.”[73] What does this mean? It means: As a result of this failure to differentiate between marijuana (i.e. THC-containing) and hemp (i.e. THC-free), according to the UCLA law review, “[O]bstructions to the development and commercialization of industrial hemp could actually have the effect of harming the health, safety and well-being of the American people.”[74] Economic studies conducted by the US Government have notably and consistently overlooked the economic side-effects (i.e.  fiscal consequences) of ignoring the damage inflicted upon the health care, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries[75] by withholding cannabinoid-based medicines from the people[76]. Moreover, as uncertain supply hurts businesses[77] – health care, pharmaceutical, and biomedical organizations have limited fiscal incentive to capitalize on (or invest in) cannabinoid related research. We, the people, must strengthen our existing drug policies,[78] conquer international[79] corruption,[80] and stop mutilating our afflicted people by enacting into law a mechanism for enabling private businesses to develop and manufacture cannabinoid medicines before this injustice destroys us.

Sincerely,

Devin G. Bost

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