Smoking marijuana does NOT cause cancer!

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Cannabis Smoking Not Linked To Lung Cancer, Case-Control Study Says

May 24, 2006 - San Diego, CA, USA



San Diego, CA: Smoking cannabis, even long-term, is not positively associated with increased incidence of lung-cancer, according to the findings of the largest population-based case-control study performed to date. Lead investigator Donald Tashkin of the David Geffen School of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, at the University of California-Los Angeles, presented the results this week at the 2006 International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.

Investigators assessed the possible association between cannabis use and the risk of lung cancer in middle-aged adults (ages 18-59) living in Los Angeles. Researchers conducted interviews with 611 subjects with lung cancer and 1,040 controls matched for age, gender and neighborhood. Data was collected on lifetime marijuana use, as well as subjects' use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, diet, occupation, and family history of cancer. Investigators used a logistical regression model to estimate the effect of cannabis smoking on lung cancer risk, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, education, and cumulative tobacco smoking and alcohol use.

"We did not observe a positive association of marijuana use -- even heavy long-term use -- with lung cancer, controlling for tobacco smoking and other potential cofounders," investigators concluded. Their data further revealed that one subset of moderate lifetime users (10-<30 "joint years") actually had an inverse association between cannabis use and lung cancer. The study did report a 20-fold increased risk in heavy tobacco smokers.

Investigators also did not report a positive association between cannabis use and increased incidence of upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) cancers. The five-year trial was sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NORML Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano said that Tashkin's findings reaffirm the results of prior case-control studies dismissing a causal link between cannabis use and certain types of lung and upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) cancers. These include: a 2001 John Hopkins University hospital-based case-control study that found neither "lifetime use" nor "ever use" of cannabis were associated with head, neck or lung cancer in younger adults; a 2004 University of Washington case-control study that found "no association" between cannabis use and incidents of oral cancer, regardless of how long, how much or how often individuals had used it; and a 1997 Kaiser Permanente retrospective cohort study that found that cannabis use was not associated with increased risks of developing tobacco-use related cancers of the lung and upper aerodigestive tract or other cancers in men and women who used marijuana but did not smoke tobacco.

"The most remarkable aspect of this study is that its findings are, in fact, unremarkable," Armentano said. "As has been previously reported by the US Institute of Medicine and others, there is no conclusive evidence that marijuana causes cancer in humans, including those cancers generally related to tobacco use."

Armentano suggested that cannabis consumers who desire the rapid onset of action associated with inhalation but who are concerned about the potential harms of noxious smoke can dramatically cut down on their intake of carcinogenic compounds by engaging in vaporization rather than smoking.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Additional information on cannabis and cancer is available in NORML's report, "Cannabis Smoke and Cancer: Assessing the Risk," available online at:
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6891

www.norml.org

[Dr. Greenthumb]

POT'S LOW CANCER RISK A SURPRISE FINDING
by heathen Burke, Bloomberg News, (Source:Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
24 May 2006

United States
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Marijuana Smoke Thought to Be Similar to Tobacco

People who smoke marijuana may be at less risk of developing lung cancer than tobacco smokers, according to a new study.

The study of 2,200 people in Los Angeles found that even heavy marijuana smokers were no more likely to develop lung, head or neck cancer than non-users, in contrast with tobacco users, whose risk increases the more they smoke.

The findings are a surprise because marijuana smoke has some of the same cancer-causing substances as tobacco smoke, often in higher concentrations, said the senior researcher, Donald Tashkin, a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles.

One possible explanation is that THC, a key ingredient in marijuana not present in tobacco, may inhibit tumor growth, he said in an interview.

"You can't give marijuana a completely clean bill of health," said Tashkin, who is to present the study to a conference of the American Thoracic Society. "I wouldn't give any smoke substance a clean bill of health. All you can say is we haven't been able to confirm our suspicions that marijuana might be a risk factor for lung and head and neck cancer."

About 1,200 adults under age 60 with cancer of the lung, tongue, mouth, throat or esophagus, took part in the study, as well as about 1,000 without cancer, between 1999 and 2003.

Marijuana use was found to be no greater or less in any of the groups - -- 44 percent of those with lung cancer, 41 percent with head or neck cancers, and 42 percent of those without cancer, said Tashkin.

Other studies had suggested marijuana smoking was a risk factor for cancer, Tashkin said. Marijuana smokers inhale more deeply than tobacco smokers and often hold the smoke in their lungs more than four times longer, depositing more tar, he said.

The results of Tashkin's study confirm some earlier research, said Paul Armentano, a senior policy analyst at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which advocates legalizing marijuana use.

"It'll be surprising results in light of the way marijuana has been presented for many years by the government and the media, as a cancer-causing agent," Armentano said.

Dr. Bertha Madras, deputy director for demand reduction at the White House's drug policy office, said she couldn't directly comment on the study without seeing the details.

"There is strong evidence that chronic marijuana use can lead to adverse effect on lung function such as increased bronchitis and lung inflammation," Madras said.

The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Tashkin said.

[Dr. Greenthumb]

[canadianbud]

Both sides lie you know, stoners have propaganda too. this is more stoner propaganda, inhaling burning fumes of anything will give you lung cancer/fuck with your insides. deal with it or quit smoking.

[Dr. Greenthumb]

I guess you're not for the legalization of marijuana. This proves that more of what the government is saying is bullshit. The best way to fight this war is to get the masses to realize marijuana is not a bad thing. It's actually the complete opposite of that.

[csem-it]

Thats right, if you dont want cancer dont:

Eat Green Tomatos
Eat Soy Sauce
Chew Tobacco
Smoke Tobacco
Smoke any other substance
Inhale fumes from burning wood, plastic, fiberglass, synthetic fabric
Use Mobile/Cell Phones
Use aerosol air fresheners
Stand too close to a microwave
Live with a smoker
Drink Pop/Soda with artificial sweeteners
Eat microwave popcorn
Pick at acne
Live Near Power Lines

Just to name a few. Everything is proven to cause cancer by some group the proven not to by another. I have looked into this a lot in the last few years after my mother passed away from cancer ath the age of 42. Yeah you might get cancer in 15-40 years, hope you do, its better that being hit by a bus tomorrow and by then they might have cures.

Early to bed and early to rise,
Eat right and exercise,
Die anyway.

[lol999]

yep i think everything causes cancer...cancer is the least of my worries

[Captain]

if it doesn't cause cancer did anyone realize the part bout tumors?
But who gives a shit. we are all here cuz we love pot and obviously didn't care if it gave us cancer in the first place . And it definately helps against gov propaganda and this isn't stoner proopaganda cuz look the following link was the article aired on CBS

http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_146132640.html

same story but video with it

[Vespiklad]

Achtung!!

[Psyclone]

Everyone has cancerous cells in them...EVERYONE...they just need to be triggered by chemical imbalances with other causes...but yeah...when I smoke...I just imagine Mary Jane sexing my lungs up

[Dr.Chronic]

dude and dudesses. I believe marijuana should be illegal.

It will cause so many troubles between other drugs.

It will be first 'marijuana should be legal'
then heroin, then cocaine, then pills and much more.

and you cant deny every drug of the right of being legal and leave marijuana in the clear zone. It just wont be done...

And if anyone believes all drugs to be legal then please imagion a world where you will go out and probably get killed on your doorstep because somebody thinks your trying to kill them through a mental defect or something.

By making these drugs illegal is keeping you more safe. Not from the drug but against much more...

[Weedguru_Falkon]

dude and dudesses. I believe marijuana should be illegal.

It will cause so many troubles between other drugs.

It will be first 'marijuana should be legal'
then heroin, then cocaine, then pills and much more.

and you cant deny every drug of the right of being legal and leave marijuana in the clear zone. It just wont be done...

And if anyone believes all drugs to be legal then please imagion a world where you will go out and probably get killed on your doorstep because somebody thinks your trying to kill them through a mental defect or something.

By making these drugs illegal is keeping you more safe. Not from the drug but against much more...

But if its legal then no one would have to kill anyone to get their fix... They could get it easier than they can now, thus reducing crime, thus increasing space and funding for the enforcement of laws that are more worthwhile for the government to pursue.