Don't believe the hype: marijuana is not a gateway drug, it's a medicine.

Credit: Natural Society

Despite the fact that countless individuals have used cannabis oil to heal their afflictions, the U.S. Cancer Institute lists cannabis as a 'cure' for cancer on its website, and a multitude of veterans credit the herb with helping them ditch opioids and alleviate symptoms of PTSD, the marijuana plant remains classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States.

In fact, in most countries around the world, use of the herb and its components for medicinal and recreational purposes remains to be illegal. This continues, regardless of the fact that 0 people die from using the herb each year. In contrast, 30,722 die from alcohol poisoning and 38,329 from abusing pharmaceuticals annually (according to 2014 data).

Some activists, such as Rick Simpson, have suggested that the plant is still illegal in the U.S. on a Federal level because of its multitude of uses. A part of the plant known as hemp can be used for clothing, food, and industrial purposes, and components of the 'flower' known as marijuana can inspire creativity, free-thinking and, of course, contribute to healing.

It is an injustice that individuals are refused access to the herb considering it is 100% natural and has been cultivated for thousands of years. Additionally, at least 100 studies prove that the plant can combat one of the most frightening modern afflictions: cancer. As 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men are predicted to develop cancer in their lifetimes, it is past time the herb lose its stigma and Schedule I status so that citizens worldwide might benefit from its many properties.

Following are 100 studies proving cannabis to be an all-natural cancer killer:

Cannabis kills tumor cells

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1576089

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20090845

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/616322

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14640910

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19480992

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15275820

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15638794

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818650

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17952650

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20307616

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16616335

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16624285

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10700234

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17675107

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14617682

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17342320

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16893424

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15026328

Uterine, testicular, and pancreatic cancers

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20925645

Brain cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11479216

Mouth and throat cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20516734

Breast cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18454173

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16728591

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9653194

Lung cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25069049

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22198381?dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21097714?dopt=Abstract

Prostate cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12746841?dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339795/?tool=pubmed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22594963

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15753356

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10570948

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19690545

Blood cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12091357

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16908594

Skin cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12511587

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19608284

Liver cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21475304

Cannabis cancer cures (general)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12514108

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15313899

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20053780

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18199524

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19589225

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12182964

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19442435

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12723496

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16250836

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17237277

Cancers of the head and neck

http://ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2277494

Cholangiocarcinoma cancer

http://ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21115947

Leukemia

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15454482

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16139274

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14692532

Cannabis partially/fully induced cancer cell death

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12130702

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19457575

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18615640

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17931597

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18438336

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18387516

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15453094

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19229996

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9771884

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18339876

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12133838

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16596790

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11269508

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15958274

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19425170

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17202146

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11903061

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15451022

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20336665

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19394652

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11106791

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19189659

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500647

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19539619

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059457

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16909207

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18088200

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10913156

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18354058

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19189054

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17934890

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16571653

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19889794

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15361550

Translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19509271