Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.
Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.
Study Says Marijuana Use Doesn’t Raise Cancer Risk: Will the Media Care?
Smoking pot, even long-term, is not associated with an increased risk of developing cancers of the head and neck, according to the results of a just-published case-control study from New Zealand.
"This population-based study did not find a statistically significant increase in the risk of head and neck cancer in adults [under age 55] from cannabis," authors concluded. "[Even] the risk associated with the highest tertile of cannabis use (defined as one joint per day for more than eight years) was not statistically significant after adjustment for cofounding variables including tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and level of income."
So for the second month in a row we have researchers from New Zealand telling us that pot smoking has little-to-no association with cancer. But perhaps you missed the first study. That would be understandable because the mainstream media deliberately obscured its findings with alarmist headlines like "Cannabis Bigger Cancer Risk Than Cigarettes" and "Experts Warn of Cannabis Cancer 'Epidemic'" -- headlines that, in fact, were nearly the opposite of what the study actually said.
So now we come to this latest report -- written by the same investigative team and involving almost the same number of subjects. Anyone think that the mainstream press will jump on the "pot isn't linked to cancer" bandwagon? I'm not holding my breath.
| Also in Health and Wellness | |||
| Lieberman Pledges To Filibuster Healthcare Bill, Says Public Option Is "Unnecessary" Lieberman calls it a "matter of conscience." Post by Amanda Terkel. November 9, 2009. |
House of Representatives Passes Health-Care Reform Bill in Historic Vote With the vote of a single Republican, Democrats passed the Affordable Health Care Act for America. Post by Adele Stan. November 7, 2009. |
House Takes Up-or-Down Vote on Stupak Amendment, Threatening Women's Rights The House leadership bows to anti-choice congressmen, allowing them a vote on an anti-choice amendment to the health-care bill. Post by RH Reality Check. November 7, 2009. |
|