There are as many carcinogens in marijuana as there are in tobacco, but researchers were surprised to find that people who smoke marijuana are not at an increased risk for developing lung cancer. In fact, marijuana smokers might be receiving a weak level of cancer prevention. People who smoke cigarettes are definitely at a greater risk for developing cancer as a result of smoking, and the more they smoke tobacco, the greater the risk for cancer. But pot smokers do not seem to share the same risk. According to researchers, and the research, 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 those who never smoked.
Wondering why? Researchers believe it is the THC in marijuana that acts as protection against the damage experienced by any carcinogens a marijuana smoker is exposed to while smoking. Past research has shown that THC has anti-tumor properties. So much for that argument against medical marijuana use.
1. I totally disagree with this article. Cancer, from what I've learned, is what happens when your body must constantly regenerate an area of itself; with skin cancer, your skin will eventually develop a mutated cancer cell because it's continually regenerating skin cells which are destroyed by the sun.
With lung cancer, it's your consistent inhalation of smoke. While cigarettes include harmful chemicals which will kill cells in your lungs, inhaling ANY smoke is likely to eventually cause cancer.
Posted at 9:13PM on May 23rd 2006 by treatments for mesothelioma