If you went one toke over the line in the '60s, a new study warns you may be at greater risk of developing certain forms of cancer.
This study, conducted at the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center, reports that smoking marijuana may increase the risk of contracting cancers in the mouth, larynx, pharynx and tongue.
Although frequent marijuana smoking is past history for many boomers, the signs of damage may be appearing now because these cancers grow so slowly. Bad news for anyone who used recreational drugs in their 20s and now seeks to maintain their health in their 40s and 50s.
Dr. Zuo-Feng Zhang, author of a cancer research article appearing in the Journal of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarker and Prevention, says carcinogens in marijuana are much stronger than those found in tobacco. While there have been clinical studies linking marijuana to molecular changes in the respiratory tract that may lead to cancer, Dr. Zhang says, "This is the first study to examine whether marijuana smoking increases risk of head and neck cancers."
In comparing 173 patients who were diagnosed with head or neck cancer to 176 cancer-free patients, Zhang noted that those who habitually smoked marijuana "were at a higher risk."
The research was based on a questionnaire examining various patients and their history of marijuana, tobacco and alcohol use. Marijuana is reportedly the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. Zhang says an estimated 31 percent of the U.S. population, 12 years or older, have used the drug.
Previous research has pointed to a possible link between heavy pot use and lung cancer.
