Clearwater, FL: Moderate use of cannabis is not associated with an elevated risk of developing lung and/or other types of upper aerodigestive tract cancers, according to preliminary data presented at the annual conference of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS).
Data presented from a retrospective, case controlled study of more than 1,200 adults with cancer of the pharynx, larynx and/or esophagus found that those who reported using moderate levels of cannabis use had no greater odds of suffering from cancer than non- cannabis using controls. “We failed to observe a positive association of marijuana use and other potential confounders,” said Donald Tashkin of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
A previous large-scale case-controlled study performed by researchers at John Hopkins University in Maryland revealed similar results, finding that “the balance of evidence … does not favor the idea that marijuana as commonly used in the community is a major causal factor for head, neck, and lung cancer.”
More recently, a 2004 study published in the journal Cancer Research concluded that cannabis use is not associated with an increased risk of developing oral cancer “regardless of how long, how much or how often a person has used marijuana.”
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of NORML at (202) 483-5500. A listing of presentations at this year’s ICRS conference is available online at:
http://www.cannabinoidsociety.org