Scientists have established that phytocannabinoids can be an effective treatment against certain types of cancer cells. Among the different cannabinoids that have been extensively studied, cannabidiol or CBD seems to be a preferred choice in this context. However, all relevant studies also indicate that other compounds from the plant could interact synergistically with CBD to reinforce its anticancer effects and suppress its psycho-activity.
One such cannabinoid is CBChromene (CBC). Cannabichromene oil does not have the same chemical composition as CBD; it behaves similarly towards cancer cells, too. In reality, CBC has even shown stronger anti-tumor properties than THC and CBD in certain cases. What follows are two reasons why scientists should investigate how CBC can be used in cancer treatment.
CBC’s ability to induce programmed cell death may be stronger than that of CBD and THC
Programmed cell death is how cells die under certain circumstances, such as irreparably damaged or unviable for use by the organism. Such a mechanism fails when cells become cancerous because malignant cells continue growing indefinitely even if their DNA becomes severely mutated or damaged beyond repair. Inducing apoptosis (or programmed cell death) in cancer cells could destroy them before they form tumors, thus preventing metastases.
Scientists have investigated for several years how cannabinoids affect this process in cancerous tissue compared with non-cancerous tissue. Although CBD, THC, and CBC all induce apoptosis in cancer cells, research has shown that CBC might be particularly effective because it induces cell death at much lower concentrations.
CBC’s anti-inflammatory properties may reinforce the effects of CBD
Cannabinoids are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have shown that cannabinoids can reduce inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory responses triggered by stress hormones such as cortisol. However, these beneficial effects apply to healthy and malignant tissue, provided it is exposed to cannabinoids. Although different phytocannabinoids have similar anti-inflammatory properties when they act directly on cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, some compounds can interact with other receptors to further enhance this effect.
