PBS documentary sheds light on marijuana’s cancer-killing agents

by Stepehn C. Webster

The cancer-killing properties of marijuana were the subject of discussion in a PBS
 documentary that aired this week to little media fanfare.

While using marijuana to kill cancer may sound like a wild claim to some, it struck
 Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti as a great idea. In his studies as professor of pathology and
 microbiology for the University of South Carolina, he tested synthetic cannabis drugs
 on cancer cells and developed a formula that was able to completely eradicate cancer
 cells in a test tube.

A follow-up on mice afflicted with cancer found that up to 30 percent in the test group
completely rejected their disease, while others had their tumors significantly reduced.
 The same drug is now being tested on humans with Leukemia.

But it’s not just Dr. Nagarkatti who sees the medical value of marijuana: it’s the whole pharmaceutical industry. And that’s another point the documentary makes, examining
 the patents various companies have filed, and what they claim marijuana-based drugs
 could one day be used to treat.

The video below is just an excerpt from the full documentary, which originally aired
 in Montana amid a debate about repealing that state’s medical marijuana law. The full,
nearly hour-long film isavailable to watch online for free.

This video is from PBS.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour
.