5 Things You Need to Know About Marijuana and Mouth Cancer

1. Marijuana is Not Associated With Mouth Cancer

Despite common sense, smoking marijuana has not been found to be associated with oral cancer. Even long-term heavy smoking of marijuana appears to carry little risk of mouth or throat cancer.

2. Marijuana and Cancer in General

Research on Marijuana smoking has not found dramatic increases in oral or lung cancer as is obvious with the research with cigarette smoking. This is not to say it carries no risk. There is some amount of evidence associating lung cancer with marijuana, but it appears to much less than that with cigarette smoking.

3. Contaminant Differences Between Marijuana and Tobacco

Some researchers have hypothesized that one explanation for the great difference in cancer risk with cigarette smoking compared to pot smoking is the fact that tobacco is often heavily treated with pesticides and processing chemicals and marijuana is not. Smoking cigarettes exposes you not only to tars and irritating smoke, it gives you a steady dose of pesticides and other chemicals.

4. Confusing Study Results for Marijuana and Cancer

Some studies have found a very slight increase in risk for cancer in general, including lung cancer, head and neck cancers, and cancer in the offspring of marijuana users. Other studies, however, have showed no such risk, and there is not yet hard proof of the association of marijuana and smoking.

5. Marijuana and Increased Risk of Cancer in the Children of Users

The use of marijuana by pregnant women may increase some types of cancer in their children. There is slight evidence of increased risk of childhood leukemia and several specific types of brain and muscle cancer. There have not been studies to determine whether this risk is associated only with heavy use or any minimal use at all, but to be on the safe side, women should avoid smoking marijuana during pregnancy.