Marijuana May Accelerate the
Growth of Cancer, Study Says A new study conducted at the
University of California San Diego
School of Medicine has found that
daily marijuana use can be deadly. The researchers found that Tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis,
interfered with p38MAPK, a cellular pathway. Because P38MAPK regulates cell death, the disruption of
its function allowed cancer cells to grow unchecked. The researchers found these results particularly in cases
of HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Co-Author Joseph
Califano, via Inverse These results have wide implications, as 80 percent
of people get at least one form of HPV by age 45. According to the U.S. Center for Disease
Control and Prevention, HPV is believed
to cause 70 percent of all throat, tongue
and tonsil cancers in the U.S. Co-Author Joseph
Califano, via Inverse