Quote Originally Posted by birdgirl73
That study wasn't propaganda-motivated. I was able to look at it in detail today in our med school library. It was by medical scientists and was a fair sampling, not supported by any funds from anti-drug or pharmaceutical companies. Just pure research. It's just that it was a very different and much smaller evaluation group than other studies that have been done. It certainly showed diametrically opposite findings from what the larger Tashkin/UCLA studies have reflected.

What does it mean? It means the same thing we've always known, particularly since studies have a history of conflicting on this subject. I means you need to be aware that there may indeed be some risk for very heavy smokers. And it means we need more far-reaching human studies to see if there's a consistent conclusion that can be drawn.

I have known two people who were cigarette-level cannabis smokers. In other words, they smoked very heavily, many many joints a day. Both of those were middle-aged men. Both have now died of lung cancer. They never smoked cigarettes, either of them. Maybe it was genetic. Maybe it was from environmental exposure earlier in their childhoods. But it certainly made those who'd known of their heavy cannabis histories wonder. We have a nation of 14 million cannabis smokers here in America, probably many many more, but since it's an illicit substance for the most part, we have no way of getting a more accurate count. That's a lot of folks, and anyone who believes some percentage of those folks hasn't had at least some cancers or health-related negative consequences doesn't really have an accurate view of statistical morbidity and mortality. You can bet it's certain that in a group that big, someone has died, whether it's from heavy cannabis smoking and cancer. From heavy smoking and heart disease. From heavy smoking and respiratory failure. Since cannabis use is mostly illicit, though, we don't see cannabis morbidity/mortality reported like we do other diseases.
first post with half a brain in this thread