Expert says: Cannabis has little cancer risk
Review finds that tobacco is more likely than cannabis to cause the disease Even though they’re chemically similar, cannabis smoke is less likely than tobacco smoke to cause cancer, according to one expert review of the literature.
The review, by Dr. Robert Melamede of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, noted that tobacco and cannabis smoke differ in a number of ways, particularly in the fact that cannabis smoke contains tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, while tobacco smoke contains nicotine. Nicotine increases the cancer-promoting effects of smoke, while THC reduces those effects, he explained.
Although THC and nicotine act on related cellular pathways, they bind to different receptors to activate these pathways, the review found. However, the review warned that the effects of cannabis are complex and sometimes contradictory. It also noted that many people use cannabis and tobacco together, and the two drugs may interact in complex ways.
Although some governments are reluctant to approve cannabis for medicinal use, the review noted that there’s increasing evidence that cannabis can improve the lives of patients with a broad range of health problems, including insomnia, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
The review will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal Harm Reduction.
Source: www.indystar.com, 23.10.05
