Friday, October 24, 2008

THC fights tumors. Pass it over.


THC has shown to actually inhibit the growth of tumors, that's why heavy pot smokers like you, aren't at any greater risk of getting lung cancer. Feel better now?


People who smoke marijuana do not appear to be at increased risk for developing
lung cancer, new research suggests.


While a clear increase in cancer risk was seen among cigarette smokers in the study, no such association was seen for regular cannabis users.


Even very heavy, long-term marijuana users who had smoked more than 22,000 joints over a lifetime seemed to have no greater risk than infrequent marijuana users or nonusers.


The findings surprised the study’s researchers, who expected to see an increase in cancer among people who smoked marijuana regularly in their youth.


“We know that there are as many or more carcinogens and co-carcinogens in marijuana smoke as in cigarettes,” researcher Donald Tashkin, MD, of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine tells WebMD. “But we did not find any evidence for an increase in cancer risk for even heavy marijuana smoking.” Carcinogens are substances that cause cancer.


Tashkin presented the findings today at The American Thoracic Society’s 102nd
International Conference, held in San Diego.


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