The problem with chemicals in marijuana like THC and CBD is the fact that they are highly insoluble in water. So far, this has mostly restricted patients to smoking or eating the plant, which makes it difficult to target tumor cells without affecting other parts of the body as well.

However, using tiny particles of polycaprolactone (a biodegradable polymer) to encapsulate THC, researchers say they've developed a novel delivery system for THC that can be used to fight cancer.

Writing in the Journal of Drug Targeting, the Spanish group explained how the microparticles make THC easier to work with.

"Delta9-THC is an oily viscous resin that is very sticky at ambient conditions making it difficult to handle and to accurately weight small amounts and prepare suspensions for injection."

Interestingly, the microparticles were actually better at inhibiting cancer growth in cell cultures compared with THC by itself. The outer layer of the microparticle allows THC to slowly diffuse through, resulting in a sustained release that lasted for at least 2 weeks in the study.

While more research is required, the group believes this delivery system could "reduce dosing frequency and enhance patient compliance" and even be used together with other cancer treatments.

"In the future, these systems might be used in combination with other anticancer drugs or conventional therapies in order to increase therapeutic efficacy."

Alternative delivery systems for marijuana-based treatments seem to be a popular focus of studies. Besides pills like Marinol and oral sprays like Sativex that have already been approved by certain countries, researchers have experimented with inhalers, skin patches and even rectal suppositories.

On the other hand, encapsulating THC in microparticles happens to be a first in this promising field of cancer research.

The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and Complutense University

Source: TruthOnPot.com