Marijuana and Cancer - NYAS

Interesting (still controversial) finding by Maura Gillison's group at Ohio State. You can keep checking her blog, which at least talks about HPV cancers in men. Increased marijiana use is correlated with increased suseptability to oral cancer with HPV etiology. The major factors of head and neck cancers that are HPV unrelated are tobbacco and alcohol use. Smoking and drinking has no effect on HPV related cancers (which make up about 99% or tonsilar cancers). However HPV related cancers are correlated with increased number of partners for oral sex, and interestsingly marjiuana use. Her current hypothesis involves endocaniboid receptors that are present in high concentration in tonsils. Its known in mice that marjiuana can locally supress immune response, which may mean that if you are exposed to HPV and marijuana you risk can increase. (Gillison, et. al. 2008 Journal of the National Cancer Institute 100 (6), pp. 407-420 )