Read buddyOriginally Posted by Soeru
There's one more potential problem to add to those already known about marijuana: the ingredient that gives it its kick, also influences tumor growth. According to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) 'promotes tumor growth.'
The finding has implications for cancer patients who use marijuana to fight chemotherapy-induced nausea. Researchers suggest that tumor growth may result from using marijuana.
The investigators point out 'the tar in marijuana smoke, compared with that of tobacco, contains higher concentrations of carcinogenic substances including benzapyrene, which has been shown to be a key factor in promoting lung cancer.'
And if that were not enough, the authors add, 'four times as much tar is deposited in the respiratory tract from the smoke of marijuana than from that of a comparable amount of tobacco, thus amplifying respiratory exposure to the cancer-causing substances in marijuana smoke.'
SOURCE: 2000 July - Journal of Immunology