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Study finds no marijuana link to lung cancer

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Marijuana smoking does not increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer, according to the findings of a new study at the University of California Los Angeles that surprised even the researchers.

They had expected to find that a history of heavy marijuana use, like cigarette smoking, would increase the risk of cancer.

Instead, the study, which compared the lifestyles of 611 Los Angeles County lung cancer patients and 601 patients with head and neck cancers with those of 1,040 people without cancer, found no elevated cancer risk for even the heaviest pot smokers. It did find a 20-fold increased risk of lung cancer in people who smoked two or more packs of cigarettes a day.

The study results were presented in San Diego on Tuesday at a meeting of the American Thoracic Society.

The study was confined to people under age 60 since baby boomers were the most likely age group to have long-term exposure to marijuana, said Dr. Donald Tashkin, senior researcher and professor at the UCLA School of Medicine.

The results should not be taken as a blank check to smoke pot, which has been associated with problems like cognitive impairment and chronic bronchitis, said Dr. John Hansen-Flaschen, chief of pulmonary and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. He was not involved in the study.

Previous studies showed marijuana tar contained about 50 percent more of the chemicals linked to lung cancer, compared with tobacco tar, Tashkin said. In addition, smoking a marijuana joint deposits four times more tar in the lungs than smoking an equivalent amount of tobacco.

"Marijuana is packed more loosely than tobacco, so there's less filtration through the rod of the cigarette, so more particles will be inhaled," Tashkin said in a statement. "And marijuana smokers typically smoke differently than tobacco smokers -- they hold their breath about four times longer, allowing more time for extra fine particles to deposit in the lung."

He theorized that tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a chemical in marijuana smoke that produces its psychotropic effect, may encourage aging, damaged cells to die off before they become cancerous.

Hansen-Flaschen also cautioned a cancer-marijuana link could emerge as baby boomers age and there may be smaller population groups, based on genetics or other factors, still at risk for marijuana-related cancers.

source article

JMilley

in your face, James

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SloMoFo

thats good ..too bad it still makes you stupid lol

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JMilley

it's a theory

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TheOriginalJames

You're still at risk for immediate heart attacks.

So... who cares?

SloMoFo

actually thats medically proven ..go back and read the spiel on the receptor sites

it prevents people from retaining information

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JMilley

Isn't everyone in the rist of immediate heart attacks? My grandfather died of a heart attack, and he didn't smoke.

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OUZBnd

Did you even read the article, or just the title.


Has it sunk in yet?

hhayes

TheOriginalJames

Oh thats nice, you have a family history of heart attacks and you think Pot doesn't do anything.

So basically you're tripling your chances.

Rusteh

why does the song "another one bites the dust" come to mind :lol

UncleBacon

and another one bites the dust

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you look like a retarded slingblade

Rusteh

and another one down and another one down

UncleBacon

and another one bites the dust

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you look like a retarded slingblade

OUZBnd

you guys are making a thread with a lot of potential to be a good debate thread worthless