Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
CRAWLEY, Australia — A startling new paper highlights a disturbing connection between using cannabis and rising rates of various cancers and congenital abnormalities, as well as DNA damage. The research paints a sobering picture of the hidden health consequences of widespread cannabis consumption as more and more countries legalize its use recreationally.
Researchers from the University of Western Australia found that cannabis exposure was associated with significant increases in cancers, particularly breast, pancreatic, liver, thyroid, and testicular. Testicular cancer risk rose 2.6 times among cannabis users. The perspective, published in the journal Addiction Biology also discovered that cancers in users tend to develop much earlier and are more aggressive.
Beyond cancer, the scientists uncovered troubling links to birth defects. Epidemiological data across Europe and the United States revealed elevated rates of severe developmental abnormalities, including missing limbs, heart problems, and chromosomal disorders. In other words, cannabis users appear to be passing on DNA mutations to their children in the womb.
“The link we’ve described between cannabis use and genotoxicity has far-reaching consequences. This new research shows how genetic damage from cannabis use can be passed down the generations,” notes co-author Dr. Stuart Reece in a media release. Reece believes this “should reframe the discussion surrounding cannabis legalization.”
The researchers attribute these health impacts to the cannabis plant’s chemical composition, including compounds like THC and CBD, which have been shown to cause genetic damage and disrupt normal cellular processes. Importantly, they point out that cannabis potency has skyrocketed in recent decades, with THC levels now commonly reaching 25-30% – a potential driver behind the worsening outcomes.
At the heart of this research is a process called “micronuclear fragmentation.” Think of your cells’ genetic material as a carefully organized library. Sometimes, small pieces of this library can break off and form tiny separate compartments called micronuclei. These micronuclei are like badly damaged satellite branches of your cellular library, and their formation often spells trouble.
Recent studies have shown that when cells are stressed – particularly when their power plants (mitochondria) are damaged – these micronuclei become even more fragile. When they rupture, it’s like a paper shredder gone haywire in your genetic library, leading to widespread DNA damage and chaos in the cell.
Here’s where cannabis enters the picture: All cannabinoids, including THC and CBD, have been shown to interfere with cellular power plants and promote micronuclei formation. The culprit appears to be a specific part of the cannabinoid molecule called the olivetol nucleus, meaning this isn’t just about THC – it’s about all cannabinoids.
While cannabis-related cancers may be relatively rare, the effects on aging and birth defects appear widespread and severe. Studies have shown a 30% acceleration of cellular aging in users as young as 30 and clusters of major birth defects in areas with high cannabis cultivation.
The authors urgently call for new epidemiological research to further investigate the modern health consequences of cannabis use, given the rise in potent products. They believe policymakers and the public can no longer ignore the mounting evidence of cannabis-related genotoxicity.
I don’t use cannabis in any form as I saw what it did to my student friends. If I did, I would check all of the above. Who wants cancer?
In Florida Big Cannabis from Canada spent over $ 100,000 on prop 3 in the last election to be the only supplier of cannabis to Floridians. They want to be the only drug dealer and like Big Tobacco have the government eliminate all home growers etc.
Big Cannabis has the money to promote as much pro pot propaganda as it wants, such as many of the comments below which sound like stoned AI.
Talk to the families of users and they will tell you another version of life with cannabis users.
And now a word from our sponsor … “For over 30 years we have provided sterile liquid pharmaceutical contract manufacturing services as a member of Pfizer’s global manufacturing network.” … just a little tidbit from the NovaCina (Bridgewest Perth Pharma) web-site. But rest assured folks we have absolutely no bias.
I am 68, smoked my first joint in 1969 and have smoked bud since. I haven’t been to a doctor for anything but some minor issues in 6 years. I am healthy and no illnesses. I worked full time for 44 years and was never without a job when I wanted one. Raised a son who is successful with a beautiful family. I never used edibles, just bud. It made me lazy in the day and that is the only draw back I can find. Concentrates and edibles are what people are ODing on! You can’t OD on smoking bud!
Cover for the real reason cancer rates are skyrocketing. Using glyphosate to speed up grain harvest, experimental medical treatments that didn’t work, poisons in our air and water, food additives everywhere. But no it’s definitely the weed doing it.
… covid vaccines are definitely responsible for all of this sudden stage 4 global explosion of runaway cancers of every kind. Marijuana has been used by all peoples forever and no correlations exist in fact, marijuana is a KNOWN anti-cancer agent the compounds within it are such. Anyone who denies covid for the sham it is is someone you can only feel sorry for at this point. This will be censored because its true.
Cancer has a lot of causes . What other factors were involved in the cancers? Why is it assumed the cannabinoids caused the cancers? Did any of the subjects recieve mrna vaccines because those supposedly also cause permanent genetic changes. Just seems like another cannabis hit piece, especially after appearing on this site..
At least one of the authors has been bagging on weed for decades. This isn’t some random unexpected conclusion.
The author, Chris Melore is part of the problem, not reporting that the University of Western Australia receives funding from big pharma. See the article: https://www.uwa.edu.au/news/article/2023/may/uwa-and-bridgewest-perth-pharma-announce-new-partnership
Modern commercial marijuana sucks. The good old Colombian druglords knew how to grow it and knew how to age it. Adding extra THC does not make it a better high it just makes it an uglier one. I can’t even use the commercial stuff because it’s utterly useless to me. Doesn’t do a thing. I’m used to the good stuff that people grow in their basements. High THC is not worth it — just because some scientist 80 years ago somewhere decided THC was the active ingredient doesn’t make it so. Its positive effects come from a combination of many ingredients — most of which are missing from the commercial marijuana. I would give anything to go back to the good old days of the real aged marijuana from Colombia. Also, I know a family where everybody except one person has cancer. Dad died of metastatic cancer at 42. Older brother died at 60 metastatic cancer. Currently three siblings are fighting cancer and probably on their way to death. Out of that entire family of six, the only one who doesn’t have any problems or any cancers or even a cough is my ex, who smokes both cigarettes and pot like it’s going out of style and has never had the smallest problem. And he is 64 years old. So while one example doth not a study make, I’ve been using since I was 17 years old and all the old heavy users I know are still perfectly healthy. Most people believe that marijuana actually helps prevent cancer and there’s plenty of good peer reviewed studies to support that as well. I get sick of these scaremongering articles just because governments want to make everything illegal and they have to come up with an excuse to do it. The new highTHC commercial marijuana might be causing people problems – I couldn’t say. But the good stuff you grow yourself is not a problem for anybody.
So this one family and its genetic swamp is proff positive to you that smoking pot is a miracle cure?
Just anecdotal, but my father used cannabis daily for over thirty years until his early death at age 52. Every one of his children and grandchildren have had lifetimes of unusual health issues. One of them had a serious birth defect, also.
Good, I am sick of dopers leaving their dirty syringes used for shooting up tokes of that jazz cabbage all over the sidewalk.
You don’t shoot up marijuana.
The pot I get today is far more superior than the pot of the 70’s. Cleaner and safer since it is all STATE inspected and grown under supervision. Every batch is tested and I know the THC level I am buoying and consuming.
It’s pretty interesting how the studies are funded by anti-weed lobbies and they never studied those who’ve used it for 40 plus years (who are healthier than those who use today).. so maybe it’s the fertilizer or the strains, but more likely just studying a small percentage of sick people, not a large study, and overall this is a biased study who doesn’t considered historical use.
Interesting. The over 100 years of academic and scientific studies (over 42,000 academic papers) that I spent 6 years studying and speaking with doctors both here and especially in Israel (where, by the way, more medical studies have been conducted on cannabis than anywhere else in the world) before I used it to get off opioids and control my MS symptoms. The studies I read have concluded the exact opposite of the findings in this “study.” Look at the Jamaican pregnancy study that followed children born to women who used cannabis while pregnant and not one..single…child had any issues. As a matter of fact, there were no developmental or academic issues with the children compared to the children of non-cannabis users while pregnant. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1957518/) And as for cancer, (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7409346/) People are so terrified of this plant. They will gladly go home after work and drink alcohol to relax, but god forbid they allow someone to smoke a plant to do the same.
Still better than jail.
This attempt at a study is missing numerous facts. God enabled every human and mammal on this earth with an endocannaboid system that has receptors for cbd,thc,etc. Cannabis happens to be the plant with the largest concentrated amounts of these healing compounds. Does God make mistakes. ALSO… BEWARE OF PEOPLE THAT IDENTIFY AS MALE BUT USE THEIR ENTIRE NAME IN A STUDY. IT MAY BE MISSING HYPHENS.
oh lawdy, we alls gonna die!
Everyone really needs to examine the source before blindly accepting studies. “Dr.” Albert Stuart Reece is a quack. Google “naltrexone implants” for heroine addicts. This provides interesting context to any morality biases.
There is a lot missing from the “study”. Such as is it only smokers that have health challenges? How much does one have to smoke daily/weekly/monthly for it to be the tipping point? What about edibles. Does it matter the quality of the soil that MJ is grown in, such as if the soil has pollutants like heavy metals? So many unanswered questions.
This is a perspective piece!! this has no accurate clinical studies or findings so just ignore this
Honestly, this sounds like a modern version of the sort of hogwash that was circulating in the 50’s – 70’s. Birth defects, cancer, mental illness, Oh my!
The man who did this study has a bias. He previously published a book on Addiction. He wrote “Differing results in published studies may be attributed to various factors including multiple exposures (including tobacco)…”
THC and CBD have been shown to inhibit b-amyloid, and phosphorylated tau, implicated in dementia. Other studies show a decrease in cancer risk: (https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2019.0095). Due to this man’s bias, certain studies such as these were likely discounted. In any case, a comparison with legal alcohol reveals many of these same issues (https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2018/01/03/alcohol-and-cancer-this-is-how-booze-damages-dna-inside-cells/). Since Alcohol kills, and cannabis does not, more alarm over Cannabis due to possible similar effects lacks scientific consistency.
The not so brights that I come across who smoke weed are under the impression that weed is good for you, after all it’s called Medical Marijuana. These are the same people who would drink Cyanide if they put the word Medical in front of it. I’m convinced that half the people in this country are complete morons.
Willie Nelson ain’t dead or stupid ?
You beat me to it.
Typical dope smoker replys
Willie Nelson would be a prime example, guy has looked 150 years old for the last 30 years. I always find people’s reactions ironic. They have manipulated weed for centuries, but it’s only been the last 35 yrs where it’s progressively increased in potency and this has been achieved in a variety of ways. Not all have been harmless. If we damage or reprogram the RNA of the plants, whose to say it can’t produce dangerous buds. I have smoked for years but have seen many users have some very odd mental reactions to full on psychotic breaks from consuming too much super potent weed over a consistent period.
You’re off by 50%