Pot Doesn't Cause Cancer, Might Prevent It

NORML.ORG US: Web: Study: Smoking Marijuana Does Not Cause Lung Cancer: "'So, in summary' Tashkin concluded, 'we failed to observe a positive association of marijuana use and other potential confounders.'

There was time for only one question, said the moderator, and San Francisco oncologist Donald Abrams, M.D., was already at the microphone: 'You don't see any positive correlation, but in at least one category [marijuana-only smokers and lung cancer], it almost looked like there was a negative correlation, i.e., a protective effect. Could you comment on that?'

'Yes,' said Tashkin. 'The odds ratios are less than one almost consistently, and in one category that relationship was significant, but I think that it would be difficult to extract from these data the conclusion that marijuana is protective against lung cancer. But that is not an unreasonable hypothesis.' "