Evaluating the Risks of Marijuana Smoke in Cancer Development
A critical investigation should be done in order to confirm suppositions involving a link between marijuana and cancer development in body systems specifically in the lungs. Over the past decades, epidemiological studies have presented diverse findings between cancers of the pharynx, esophagus, rectum, oral cavity, larynx, liver, and colon. These studies have also presented findings that tobacco smoking can also cause similar effect such as cancer in the upper aerodigestive tract, kidneys, pancreas, and bladder. More so, smoking tobacco has been found to inflict cancer in the liver and stomach.
A few epidemiological and/or clinical studies that focused on using marijuana and cancer have been conducted recently; however, the results were not conclusive. In the past 10 years, scientists in different countries have also conducted their own research on the association between marijuana and cancer. Most of the findings have claimed that cannabinoids can stop the dissemination of countless cancer cells including brain cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. As published in the British Journal of Cancer, a 2006 patient trial had reported that the infliction of THC was related with decreased tumor cell proliferation in humans who have advanced glioblastoma.
In another study on marijuana and cancer published in the scientific journal, Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, Italian researchers have came up with the finding that Cannabinoids have presented a large potency in reduction of glioma tumor growth. The researchers have stated that the Cannabinoids tend to be selective anti-tumoral agents because they are able to destroy glioma cells without affecting the non-transformed counterparts. However, any mainstream media outlet did not report their findings.
There is no conclusive link between marijuana and cancer. However, in other studies, certain cellular abnormalities have been identified in the lungs more frequently in marijuana smokers as compared to non-smokers. The results of these studies have suggested that the combination of long-term exposure to marijuana and smoking tobacco damages the bronchial system, which can lead to respiratory cancers.
The public and government officials should cautiously be able to define the obscurity of the results gathered in different studies and experiments on marijuana and cancer. The results should not be construed as an imputation of its possible health hazards or an endorsement of the safety of marijuana.
The United States government was believed to keep the possible advancements with regard to using marijuana and cancer treatment, maintaining its stand that marijuana is illegal and should not be used whether on recreational or medical purposes. Thus, people are left speculating on the real score between use of marijuana and cancer treatment/development. Governments of different countries should be able to consider possible advancements of using marijuana and cancer treatment and not close their doors on the issue. If marijuana is truly a cure to cancer, then there is no need to leave people suffer longer.


