Cannabinoids from marijuana (cannabis) are known to induce cell death of prostate cancer cells by stimulating cannabinoid receptors. The most common cannabinoid is THC, but this study from 2012 evaluated the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on prostate cancer.
In short, CBD significantly inhibited the ability of prostate cancer cells to live. Their findings were so positive they suggest that high CBD cannabis extracts might provide the basis for new therapies against prostate cancer, either in addition to current drugs or potentially as stand-alone treatments.
In some cases the prostate cancer can change from being one that is dependent upon the stimulation of the male sex hormone receptors, into one that is more malignant and unresponsive to changes at that receptor site. Surprisingly, it was found that these more aggressive prostate cancer cells were even more susceptible to induced death from CBD.
