Marijuana and lung cancer are not linked

Space Lieutenant Josh · 05-25-2006, 12:42 PM

Study finds no marijuana-lung cancer link

Wednesday, May 24, 2006; Posted: 2:11 p.m. EDT (18:11 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (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 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 including 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.

Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Note from me: this sounds like good news for anarchy, but really bad news for that chick with the frying pan.

**Jester** · 05-25-2006, 01:59 PM

Well....she says that it's your brain, and not your lung, being affected by drugs. So when a study proves that pot has no affect on your brain, then Rachael Leigh Cook should put up the frying pan.

*iris* · 05-25-2006, 05:57 PM

Interesting results.

It's never good to be breathing smoke in. Whenever you burn something, you create a whole constellation of chemicals, including many carcinogens. Smoking causes cardiopulmonary disease; it's not as glamorous as lung cancer, but it's still really bad. Sounds like MJ is no different there.

But MJ is self-limiting. People smoke it differently. Not that many people smoke it every single day, continiously, for years and years on end... at least not the eqivalent of 2 packs a day... which according to this article I would guess is about 10-20 joints a day. There's your fun fact for the hour.

05-25-2006, 12:42 PM	#1
Space Lieutenant Josh Hench Mutant Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Village of Rock'n Kick-Ass Posts: 492	Marijuana and lung cancer are not linked Study finds no marijuana-lung cancer link Wednesday, May 24, 2006; Posted: 2:11 p.m. EDT (18:11 GMT) LOS ANGELES, California (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 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 including 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. Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Note from me: this sounds like good news for anarchy, but really bad news for that chick with the frying pan.

05-25-2006, 01:59 PM	#2
Jester Rat-faced Dude-guy Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 26,301	Well....she says that it's your brain, and not your lung, being affected by drugs. So when a study proves that pot has no affect on your brain, then Rachael Leigh Cook should put up the frying pan. __________________ "Clearly, you're Ninja Turtling incorrectly." - Leo656

05-25-2006, 05:57 PM	#3
iris moddy mod mod Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: finally escaped the lab Posts: 1,886	Interesting results. It's never good to be breathing smoke in. Whenever you burn something, you create a whole constellation of chemicals, including many carcinogens. Smoking causes cardiopulmonary disease; it's not as glamorous as lung cancer, but it's still really bad. Sounds like MJ is no different there. But MJ is self-limiting. People smoke it differently. Not that many people smoke it every single day, continiously, for years and years on end... at least not the eqivalent of 2 packs a day... which according to this article I would guess is about 10-20 joints a day. There's your fun fact for the hour. __________________ Appeal to nobler motives. Like pie. [ life is at best bitter sweet ]