Herbal Cancer Treatment

Breast cancer kills more than 41,000 American women every year. Researchers in the San Francisco lab are working to shrink that number, and they're doing it with an unusual weapon, marijuana, or at least a compound from it. What we found is that this compound called cannabidiol was particularly effective at inhibiting aggressive breast cancers. First, scientists at California Pacific Medical Center discovered a key gene which enables breast cancer to spread then they tested the pot compound and realized it could actually inhibit that genes destructive path and stop the spread of tumor cells and potentially do it without harming a patient we know that this compound extracted from cannabis is non-toxic inpatient because it has already been used for different kinds of disease. The benefits may not stop there. Scientists say the cannabis compound may fight other aggressive cancers including prostate cancer. The next step, animal studies, then clinical trials. So it may be several years before patients may benefit from a cannabis cancer fighter. I think it's a promising avenue in terms of the treatment for aggressive cancers, which is really where we need treatments for. Mary Ann Favreau, NBC News. Thank you.