Does marijuana cause cancer?
444641
of course not.\n\nwho told you that? sounds like propaganda.\n\nweed does NOT cause cancer.
802
NO, smoking has been linked to lung cancer no matter what ammount you consume.
391045
No.  Cancer is a mutation of your body's cells and you can't cause that just by plucking the hairs, no matter how many you pluck.
893697
Effects on the Brain\n\nScientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain.\n\nIn the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement4.\n\nThe short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana abuse indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid (THC or synthetic forms of THC) withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system5 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine6. Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.\n\n\nEffects on the Heart\n\nOne study has indicated that an abuser's risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana7. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana's effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.\n\n\nEffects on the Lungs\n\nA study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers8. Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.\n\nEven infrequent abuse can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways9. Smoking marijuana possibly increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced evidence that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers10.\n\nMarijuana abuse also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens9,11. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke12. It also induces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells13. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may be more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco.\n\n\nOther Health Effects\n\nSome of marijuana's adverse health effects may occur because THC impairs the immune system's ability to fight disease. In laboratory experiments that exposed animal and human cells to THC or other marijuana ingredients, the normal disease-preventing reactions of many of the key types of immune cells were inhibited14. In other studies, mice exposed to THC or related substances were more likely than unexposed mice to develop bacterial infections and tumors15,16.\n\n\nEffects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior\n\nResearch clearly demonstrate
62160
for medical purpose or for personal use? marijuana both.
65999
Here are some facts about marijuana vs. cigarettes.
1131373
The physical health risks associated with both cigarettes and  marijuana are caused by the same thing: the carcinogens, or cancer causing agents, in the smoke. Nicotine and THC are the drugs, respectively, ingested by the smoke. It has been shown in studies that an unfiltered ingestion of tobacco OR marijuana is roughly three times as harmful as a typical filtered cigarette. However, the average cigarette smoker smokes far more individual puffs in a given time period than the average recreational marijuana smoker. \n\nWhen looked at on a larger scale, cigarettes outnumber ALL other drugs, including narcotics, in related health problems and associated deaths. These statistics are precipitated by the popularity and highly addictive nature of cigarettes, as well what is generally considered ruthless, misleading and unethical advertising and business policy by the tobacco industry.
788401
good.  if you read up on the history and medical.. you'll find that it helps nausea in cancer patients...  hiv patients...   anorexics are helped by cannabis... even the obese.\n\nalso THC has been known to have positive effects on MS patients.\n\nit's a diuretic and helps with hypertension (if not inhalated)   \n\nit helps with joint pain along with rheumatoid arthritis.\n\nheadache... blindness, eye pain.\n\nif ingested it can help with colon disorders.\n\nread up on the medical research by keying up  medical benefits of THC  and marijuana in google.com\n\nhttp://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2005/04/medical_marijua.html\n\nhttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=benefits+of+THC+in+MS+patients\n\nare  just two examples  you'll find keying up in google.com\n\nthanks.
178086
a direct link between smoking and breast cancer has not been found, some studies suggest it might increase breast cancer risk, particularly for women who start smoking as teens. Smoking affects your overall health and increases the risk for many other cancers, as well as heart disease. If you smoke, you should make every attempt to quit.
400660
yes because it produces kind of radiation which may cause genetic mutations that may finally lead to cancer!\nbut this is not occuring usually, the parcentage of its harm is not high so you don't have to worry!
311729
yeah plants can get cancer. i dont think it is as big of an issue for them though, because they dont have critical organs like brain, liver etc that the cancer can infiltrate- just stems and leaves, and the cancer would have to be pretty extensive to kill them off
1114447
I guess we can get rid of the social cancer by having everyone smoke weed. Since THC causes the cells to age much faster than normal, they don't live to long enough to become cancer. Therefore, if everyone smokes weed, no lung cancer and no social cancer cause they will be KOOL and HIP!!!
816529
Hi Tawnee S,\nSounds good to me (hamster & fish get high too) shouldn't have any effect except to be stoned-2 tokes for the road!! \nIgnore all the ones that say this is bad! Unless you smoke marijuana & know the difference.  If you are one of those few that believes everything the damn government says then you really don't have the clue.  And should read for your yourselves & get some knowledge while at it!  The effects of pot- on MS patients, glaucoma, Cancer patients, AIDS patients, radiation patients.  People that have other mind blowing sicknesses & medical problems will know the difference. Yes my doctor knows so for all those others GO READ & GET SOME KNOWLEGEMENT DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE GOVERNMENT SAYS!    Have a good day :0)
886573
I wouldn't say it is "just as harmful," because there are similarities and differences. No matter what kind of smoke it is, it's no good for your lungs. Cigarettes, however, leave tar and nasty stuff in your lungs. Weed leaves a residue, but not as much... unless you smoke a whole lot of weed! Anyway, cigarettes cause more physical damage to a person's body, whereas marijuana causes mental and genetic effects. Marijuana changes a persons DNA, therefore a heavy pothead could produce a child with mental, physical, and/or developmental disorders, where a 2 pack a day cigarette smoker may only produce a child with a weakened immune system and athsma. I hope I helped.
336795
I don't think it's ever been proven.  It certainly has some negative effects on the brain though.  I know a lot of potheads that can't remember what they did yesterday. I heard the sperm count thing is a fact.  I think it depends on if a person a light user or heavy user.  Who knows though.  One thing that is absolutely known is that marijuana takes a toll on a person's lungs just like cigarettes do.
362506
because the thc in marijuana opens up the blood vessels making them less constricted, and the oxygenated blood in the cappilaries becomes more prevelant in the eyes, which is the same reason why people with glaucoma(acute constricting of blood vessels in the eyes) use marijuana for their condition.
392186
Short-term effects of using marijuana include:\n\n• Sleepiness \n• Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory \n• Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car \n• Increased heart rate \n• Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease \n• Bloodshot eyes \n• Dry mouth and throat \n• Decreased social inhibitions \n• Paranoia, hallucinations \n• Impaired or reduced short-term memory \n• Impaired or reduced comprehension \n• Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult \n• Paranoia \n• Psychological dependence \n• Impairments in learning, memory, perception, and judgment - difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts \n• Intense anxiety or panic attacks\n\n Long-term effects of using marijuana include:\n• Enhanced cancer risk \n• Decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men \n• Increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility \n• Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure \n• Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect