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[COMMON QUESTION]Is it possible to get lung cancer from weed?

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drug100

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i don't smoke tobacco but marijuana only and i am wondering if its possible for me to get lung cancer? has a study ever been done on marijuana only smokers?
 
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There are a few studies out there concerning this but most don't take into account participants that smoke tobacco as well. I believe there's at least one that does though and it didn't show much if any increased risk of lung cancer from just smoking cannabis. That being said, it's possible to get lung cancer without smoking anything at all, smoking only makes it more likely that one will. What it really comes down to is the amount/frequency you smoke, obviously the more you smoke the higher your chances. However, the jury is still out on whether only smoking cannabis will raise your chances of lung cancer any significant amount or if it would be negligible, as the few studies that have been done are far from conclusive.

The second most prevalent cannabinoid(CBD) present in cannabis has been shown to have cancer mitigating effects and some have speculated this can reduce or even eliminate any increased risk of lung cancer associated with cannabis use. I wouldn't bet my money that it completely removes that risk but I'd agree it could reduce the risk to some degree. Using a vaporizer and/or switching to edibles can further reduce that risk but in the end the decision is yours to make. Having a family history of lung cancer or working in an industry with volatile substances are other factors to consider when making that risk assessment.
 
Next time please do a search before asking a question that has already been asked a million times.

It's hard to establish a control that separates tobacco smokers from cannabis smokers. The cancer link has never been concretely established and all the current research is leaning towards no. There is additional research that says the THC content of cannabis may even be protective to lung tissue.

Keep in mind though that any kind of smoking still increases your risk of later developing emphysema and COPD because of inhaling tar and combusted material.
 
The best research I am aware of was conducted by Dr. Donald Tashkin. It's far superior to the studies listed above if you don't mind me saying.

Video of dr. Donald Tashkin explaining his research into marijuana and lung cancer

Lung Cancer Association with Smoking Marijuana Debunked

A study led by Donald Tashkin of the University of California suggests incidences of lung cancer are not the same when one uses marijuana and when one smokes tobacco.

There is admittedly, an ongoing confusion about the effects of smoking marijuana.

As if it is not enough, another study led by Professor Donald Tashkin of the University of California in Los Angeles is suggesting that the incidence of lung cancer is not actually the same when one uses marijuana and when one smokes tobacco.

Earlier, it can be remembered that Tashkin (with his colleagues) were the same persons who were able to show that marijuana smoke injures cells in the upper airways and even identified the substance, Benzpyrene which is also implicated in tobacco smoke as a contributor in the development of lung cancers.

However, with Tashkin’s team analyzing data from 1,212 cancer patients from the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance program and 1,040 cancer-free controls, they were able to come up with startling findings; that an increase in the use of marijuana did not result in higher rates of lung cancer and pharyngeal cancer as compared to tobacco smokers who were at greater risk the more they smoked. Additionally, the tobacco smokers who also used marijuana were at slightly lower risk of acquiring cancer of the lung compared with tobacco-only smokers.
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But, does smoking any quantity of marijunana vs not smoking anything increase your risk of cancer? According to other studies, yes.

That it's not a linear dose response curve is irrelevant.
 
rangrz said:
But, does smoking any quantity of marijunana vs not smoking anything increase your risk of cancer? According to other studies, yes.
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This is the most comprehensive study I have seen so far and is the best evidence we have that I am aware of.

Of course with studies you can have the whole gamut of problems such as too few subjects, flawed methodology etc. So I am sure you'll find some studies showing an increased risk of cancer associated with cannabis smoking, yes, but the quality of Dr. Tashkin's research is such it was designed to avoid all these problems. I suggest reading into his study before passing judgement.
 
I don't think we need studies for this. Use common sense people. Obviously smoking drugs is hard on the lungs. If you are using it moderately, I see no concern, but for those of you who rock bong from morning til night, day in day out, there will be an increased risk for not only lung cancer, but a lot of other physical problems. Cannabis is hundreds of chemicals that do not need to be in your body and could very well mess a lot of shit up if you bombard yourself with them. I have yet to meet someone who benefits from using cannabis daily, and I know a great many people who do so, not out of personal choice, but because they are addicts. Of course there are medical exceptions, but most people I know smoke weed every day because it is very much habit forming, and really tough to quit.
 
Artificial Emotion said:
This is the most comprehensive study I have seen so far and is the best evidence we have that I am aware of.

Of course with studies you can have the whole gamut of problems such as too few subjects, flawed methodology etc. So I am sure you'll find some studies showing an increased risk of cancer associated with cannabis smoking, yes, but the quality of Dr. Tashkin's research is such it was designed to avoid all these problems. I suggest reading into his study before passing judgement.
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But there is very good underlying theory as to why it would do so. Re: pyrolysis products like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Aside from cancer, how about COPD and emphysema from smoking/inhaling any sort of smoke. Like numerous studies show firefighters, welders, mechanics, and others who spend much time in smoke filled environments have increased incidence of all of those.
 
rangrz said:
But there is very good underlying theory as to why it would do so. Re: pyrolysis products like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Aside from cancer, how about COPD and emphysema from smoking/inhaling any sort of smoke. Like numerous studies show firefighters, welders, mechanics, and others who spend much time in smoke filled environments have increased incidence of all of those.
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You haven't watched the video have you? Before his research Tashkin himself hypothesized that there would be a definitive link between cancer and marijuana smoking for those very reasons, but the results of his study indicated otherwise. "What we found instead was no association and even a suggestion of some protective effect," says Tashkin, whose research was the largest case-control study ever conducted. This is the whole point of the research. It's what science is for!

I'll say it again, you should at least watch the video and hear what he has to say because he addresses those points directly.
 
RobotRipping said:
what if you just vaporize your cannabis or eat it? no issues then?
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Don't get me wrong, smoking anything can't be good for you even if smoking cannabis doesn't appear to cause lung cancer. I would still vaporize it, yes and if you stick to this method you probably will be fine, especially if you do it in moderation.
 
Thanks for linking your sources Artificial Emotion. :)

Cannabinoid only lungs for the win. %)
 
Artificial Emotion said:
You haven't watched the video have you? Before his research Tashkin himself hypothesized that there would be a definitive link between cancer and marijuana smoking for those very reasons, but the results of his study indicated otherwise. "What we found instead was no association and even a suggestion of some protective effect," says Tashkin, whose research was the largest case-control study ever conducted. This is the whole point of the research. It's what science is for!

I'll say it again, you should at least watch the video and hear what he has to say because he addresses those points directly.
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I don't wanna watch a video, I'd rather read the article.
 
^ well that would be even better. It's easy to find - just put in the keywords 'Dr. Donald Tashkin lung cancer cannabis' into Google and you'll find all the info you need.
 
In contrast to the latter findings, moreover, 9-tetrahydrocannabinol has
been shown to augment lung cancer growth in an immunocompetent mouse model due to its potent effect on immunosuppression (30).
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If we focus on the upper 95% CL as an indication of the most harm that marijuana smoking may confer on cancer risk, perhaps marijuana use in the 10-joint-year range is at most a moderate risk factor that increases risk by 50% to 100%
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Marijuana Use and the Risk of Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers: Results of a Population-Based Case-Control Study
 
^ the findings of that study (the one Dr. Tashkin took part in which I was talking about for anyone else wondering) are quite clear from what I gather. Which is why I'm not sure what you're trying to say :?
 
The study is fairly clear in conclusions, yes. It is always worth noting the subtle aspects of the entire article vs just reading the abstract, as one often finds caveats and limits where the approximation does not hold true, i.e. that in a patient who already has lung cancer, the immunosuppressive effect of THC appears to increase the growth of the lesion.
 
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