New Research Suggests Heavy Cannabis Use May Be Associated with Certain Cancers – One America News Network
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:50 AM – Thursday, August 8, 2024
A new study has claimed that smokers who partake in heavy marijuana use are “significantly more likely to develop head and neck cancers.”
Advertisement
“Our research shows that people who use cannabis, particularly those with a cannabis use disorder, are significantly more likely to develop head and neck cancers compared to those who do not use cannabis,” said Dr. Niels Kokot, a professor of clinical otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Head and neck cancers include cancers of the throat, the trachea, salivary glands, as well as tumors in the mouth.
Kokot’s team explained “the smoke content of cannabis contains carcinogens similar to those found in tobacco.”
Kokot’s study focused on those diagnosed with problematic “cannabis-related disorders,” which is diagnosed when a person has two or more of the following symptoms: frequently craving cannabis, becoming tolerant to its effects (having a high tolerance), using more than intended, using even if it causes problems in daily life, using in high-risk situations, those experiencing mental withdrawal, and generally being unable to quit, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study was conducted by looking at over 116,000 records of people who were diagnosed with a problematic cannabis-related disorder. The rate of head and neck cancers were examined in that group in comparison to a group of head and neck cancer patients who do not have a cannabis use disorder.
“We found that the relative risk of developing head and neck cancer for those with cannabis-related disorders ranged from 3.5 to 5 times that of those without cannabis-related disorders,” Kokot’s research team wrote.
The study mainly focuses on cannabis usage by way of smoking, as it is “most commonly consumed by smoking,” Kokot wrote. “The association we found likely pertains mainly to smoked cannabis.”
Additionally, Dr. Michael Blasco, the director of the head and neck oncology and reconstruction at Northwell Health in Staten Island, weighed in on the research findings.
“Now we know that there is a link between cannabis use and head and neck cancer – I would say that we’ve proven that link,” Blasco stated. “We don’t necessarily know what the threshold is that seems to greatly increase the risk, but we know that heavy users have higher rates, so I would 100 percent tell patients that there’s a link between head and neck cancer and cannabis use.”
“This is a part of a growing body of literature that’s showing that there are measurable negative health effects from cannabis use,” he continued. “Whether that’s effects on the lungs, whether that’s effects on the mood and addiction. And then this is part of a growing body of literature that suggests association with cancers. So, we’re learning more and more about the long-term health effects of cannabis.”
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisements below
