Smokin' weed, and cancer

[Guest]

I found something in this link that was interesting - on page 8
http://www.maps.org/mmj/Gieringer-vaporizer.pdf



"The GC/MS analysis showed that the gas phase of the vapor consisted overwhelmingly of cannabinoids, with trace amounts of three other compounds. In contrast, over 111 compounds were identified in the combusted smoke, including several known PAHs
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....Of particular concern are the carcinogenic polynuclear (or "polycyclic") aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nown byproducts of combustion that are thought to be a major culprit in smoking-related cancers. While there exists no epidemiological evidence that marijuana smokers face a higher risk of smoking-related cancers, studies have found that they do face a higher risk of bronchitis and respiratory infections"


So basically, PAHs are found in marijuana smoke. PAHs are thought to be carcinogenic. However, epidemiologically, MJ smokers don't face a higher cancer risk (compared to what group, the report does not say..)

I've always heard about how MJ smoke doesn't cause cancer.
Now I read this, and it makes me second-guess that.

I've always found it hard to believe smoking anything does not increase your chances of getting cancer.

Now that I see this about PAHs, I'm even more weary about smoking and cancer.

Still, epidemiologically, they say the risk for cancer isn't higher from smoking MJ. It certainly is better than cigs, I know.

I just thought people may be interested in reading this. Kinda scary if you ask me.

 

[Guest]

Honestly I dont think you can trust any kind of research on cannabis since it is all a bunch of bullshit.

 

[Guest]

^^ what he said.
if it were true, all the old stoners from the 60-70s would've died off all with severe cases of cancers.
goin outside of your house causes cancer....

 

[Guest]

What bugs me is that not enough research has been done on MJ - so we really don't have a good grasp on how many chronic smokers (who only smoke MJ) have gotten cancer because of that MJ smoking. We really just don't know yet for sure.

But, we do know that scientists believe that PAHs cause cancer, and that PAHs are in MJ smoke. That is enough to make me want to invest in a volcano pretty soon!

And Saix, that research is being put forth on a pro-MJ site...If anything, that's bias in favor of MJ!

I disagree respectfully that we can't trust any research on MJ. We can benefit from it greatly, I think, as long as it is scientifically-minded, peer-reviewed, and not bias in any way. I look forward to the days when we have enormous amounts of extensive scientific research on MJ - and those days are near.

And yes, lots of things cause cancer. But that doesn't rule out the fact that smokin' can't.

 

[stihgnobevoli]

i read a report from a scientist at ucla like a year ago said canabis use not only doesnt cause cancer, but it has products in it that block carcinogens.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060526083353.htm

http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=070A2794-A17D-6590-91601A3B6811008A

Science Daily & Medical News Today


Wednesday 19 Oct 2005


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Cannabis smoke is not as carcinogenic as tobacco smoke. In a review
article published today in Harm Reduction Journal, Dr. Melamede from the
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, USA, writes that although
cannabis smoke and tobacco smoke are chemically very similar, evidence
suggests that their effects are very different and that cannabis smoke
is less carcinogenic than tobacco smoke.

The pharmacological effects of tobacco and cannabis smoke differ in many
ways, mainly because tobacco smoke contains nicotine while cannabis
smoke contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The cancer-promoting effects
of smoke are increased by nicotine, while they are reduced by THC.

Tobacco and cannabis smoke contain the same carcinogenic compounds --
and depending on which part of the plant is smoked, cannabis smoke can
contain more of them -- but, whereas nicotine activates these
carcinogenic compounds, THC has been shown to inhibit them in mice
cells. THC is very likely to have protective effects against the
carcinogens present in smoke in humans too, but cannabis smoke remains
nonetheless carcinogenic.

While nicotine and THC can act on related cellular pathways, they bind
to different receptors to activate these pathways. The cells of lungs
and the respiratory passages are lined with nicotine receptors, but do
not appear to carry THC receptors. This explains why cannabis smoking
has not been associated with lung cancer, a main cause of death from
cigarette smoking.

Cannabis has also been shown to kill cancer cells and to reduce tumour
growth, in part by reducing the formation of blood vessels that feed
tumours. But "the effects of cannabinoids are complex and sometimes
contradicting", warns the author. In addition, as cannabis is frequently
smoked with tobacco, the effects of the two drugs may interact in
complex ways.

Cannabis may help combat cancer-causing herpes viruses
The compound in marijuana that produces a high, delta-9 tetrahydrocannbinol or THC, may block the spread of several forms of cancer causing herpes viruses, University of South Florida College of Medicine scientists report.

The findings, published Sept. 15 in the online journal BMC Medicine, could lead to the creation of antiviral drugs based on nonpsychoactive derivatives of THC.

The gamma herpes viruses include Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpes virus, which is associated with an increased risk of cancer that is particularly prevalent in AIDS sufferers. Another is Epstein-Barr virus, which predisposes infected individuals to cancers such as Burkitt's lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease.

Once a person is infected, these viruses can remain dormant for long periods within white blood cells before they burst out and begin replicating. This reactivation of the virus boosts the number of cells infected thereby increasing the chances that the cells will become cancerous.

The USF team, led by virologist Peter Medveczky, MD, found that this sudden reactivation was prevented if infected cells were grown in the presence of THC. While cells infected with a mouse gamma herpes virus normally died when the virus was reactivated, these same cells survived when cultured in the laboratory along with the cannabinoid compound – further evidence that THC prevents viral reactivation.

Furthermore, the researchers showed that THC acts specifically on gamma herpes viruses. The chemical had no effect on another related virus, herpes simplex-1, which causes cold sores and genital herpes.

Small concentrations of THC were more potent and selective against gamma herpes viruses than the commonly used antiviral drugs acyclovir, gancicyclovir and foscamet, said Dr. Medveczky, a professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.

The USF researchers suggest that THC selectively inhibits the spread of gamma herpes viruses by targeting a gene these viruses all share called ORF50.

Dr. Medveczky emphasized that more studies are needed. "We have not evaluated the effect of THC in an animal model yet so we do not recommend people start using pot to prevent or treat cancers."

In fact, Dr. Meveczky said, THC has also been shown to suppress the immune system so smoking marijuana could "do more harm than good" to patients whose immune systems are often already weakened.

While there is still no real cure for cancer, every day researchers move a step closer to finding that cure. Twenty-five-year old Natalya Kogan, a Ph.D. candidate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, working under the supervision of Prof. Raphael Meshulam, recently proved that extract from the cannabis plant is able to help heal cancer within the organism.

Kogan, who immigrated from the Ukraine 10 years ago, developed a new compound known as guinniodic cannabinoids, which is similar to several anti-cancer medications such as Daunomycin. Whereas Daunomycin produces negative side effects in the heart, Kogan’s tests have proven the new compound to be much less harmful, even reducing the volume of cancer, which it did during animal testing.

What makes guinniodic cannabinoids compound so different is that it forms a complex with the enzyme Topoisomerase II, which is responsible for mitosis (when two new nuclei form with the same number of chromosomes as the nucleus from which they’re formed). This specifically stops the division of cells and growth of the tissues, as compared to most of today’s anti-cancer substances that are less selective in their action. These substances also reduce the blood supply to the cancer tissue.

While Kogan continues her research to discover mechanisms and modes of action for these substances, in the interim the substances themselves have a high potential for future anticancer medications. Kogan received the Kaye-Innovation Prize from the university for her research

 

[Guest]

Tobacco smoke definitely has more carcinogens than MJ, but MJ I believe at this point still most likely has some carcinogens in it. It's cool that it has some anti-cancer properties though.

 

[Guest]

lets put it this way, why would cancer victims use cannabis if it is causing more problems for them?

 

[Guest]

Because the benefits such as relieving horrific pain outweigh the slight chance they'll get cancer in the future. But, we're seeing more and more medical users use vaporizers over smoking, because of the negative health effects of smoking.

 

[marx2k]

Whatever questions you might have on pretty much any subject under the sun, vaporizers would usually be the answer

 

[Haps]

So this is what their young look like.

Gel, you are a young anti smoke nazi, and you probably don't even know it, poor thing. You are afraid of the nasty, icky, dirty, smoke, aren't ya? It is ok, this "judgement" disease is sweeping the former land of the free right now. But since we caught it in time, you can be cured.

But your gonna have to fire up some big old nasty joints to get the cure, Eh?

H

 

[Guest]

I'm not an anti smoke nazi. I smoke myself, and I refuse to blind myself to what I consider to be reality. I'm not afraid to admit that what I do is damaging to my health. I'd rather do that than deny myself the truth, that's all. I side with science over what I consider to be denial. I keep an open mind, as much as I love MJ.

And if it enlightens a few people along the way, all the better.

 

[Guest]

I read an article on Cannabis Culture...that the reason tobacco is cancerous is they foliar feed the tobacco leaves with a fertilizer that has plutonium-210 or something.

And since u smoke those leaves...

So I would say, if you smoke organically grown weed....without any of that plutonium stuff, you might be way better off. But those are just studies who really knows.