Farmington, CT: Lifetime cannabis use is associated with lower rates of prostate cancer, according to observational data published in the journal Biomedicines.
Researchers affiliated with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida assessed the relationship between cannabis consumption and prostate cancer in a nationally representative cohort of 2,503 participants.
Investigators reported that subjects between the ages of 50 and 64 who identified as either current or former cannabis consumers possessed a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer diagnoses. Scientists suggested that this finding provides “biological support for the anti-cancer effects of the constituents of marijuana.” Numerous preclinical trials have documented the ability of cannabinoids to inhibit cancer cell growth.
The study’s authors reported: “In this cross-sectional study of 2503 participants from the USA using the NSDUH [National Survey on Drug Use and Health] from 2002 to 2020, we observed that individuals who were former marijuana users had a significantly lower rate of self-reports of having PC [prostate cancer]. Additionally, the current marijuana users also trended towards lower self-reports of PC. … Specifically, among participants aged greater than 65 years, former marijuana use was linked to reduced self-reports of PC compared to never using.”
They concluded, “Our findings provide corroborative data from a large national, population-based survey to strengthen the existing body of evidence suggesting a potentially protective role of marijuana against the development of PC … [and] our findings can serve as hypothesis-generating for future prospective studies to further evaluate the role of cannabinoids (using medical marijuana) in PC prevention.”
Separate case-control studies have similarly suggested that a history of cannabis use may provide protection against certain types of cancers, including lung cancer and head and neck cancers.
Full text of the study, “Marijuana use may be associated with reduced prevalence of prostate cancer: A National Survey on Drug Use and Health study from the United States of America,” appears in Biomedicines. Additional information on cannabis and cancer is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.