Marijuana A Cancer Cure?

MarijuanaThere are conflicting reports about marijuana being used to cure for cancer.

In a study carried out at Harvard university a couple of years ago, it was found that an active ingredient in marijuana cuts the growth of the kind of tumor found in lung cancer and also arrests the spread of the cancer.

The compound, Delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is what is said to inhibit the spread and multiplication of the cancerous tumor.

The import of the study was to demonstrate that a substance that is usually associated with abuse, can, in certain events and if used prudently, offer a new option to treat lung cancer.

However contrary to these findings, it has been found, that smoking marijuana actually damages genetic material DNA in a way that could increase the risk of getting cancer.

Acetaldehyde is present in marijuana as well as tobacco which is viewed as being toxic, though the actual DNA damage occurring from this chemical is not clearly understood or substantiated.

Though tobacco smoke, it is clearly understood has carcinogens, the same link has not been proved as incontrovertibly with marijuana.

The fact that marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply than do cigarette smokers may have some bearing on this finding and according to researchers of the latter study, smoking of three to four cannabis cigarettes a day is associated with the same degree of damage to bronchial mucus membranes as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day.