New study suggests link between cancer and marijuana usage

The accredited scientific journal Addiction Biology published a peer-reviewed study on Wednesday suggesting that cannabis use causes cellular damage that increases the risk of developing cancerous tumors. Marijuana acted as a genotoxic substance by damaging cells' genetic information, according to the University of Western Australia researchers. The DNA damage can lead to accelerated aging and cancer. This link between cannabis and genotoxicity has fairly broad consequences, research co-author Dr. Albert Stuart Reece told News-Medical.Net.

If it damages genetic information, does that mean a child could inherit the damaged genes? The research also found that a cannabis user’s genetically damaged egg or sperm may put offspring at a heightened risk of cancer. Discussion of cannabis legalization should be reframed from a personal choice to possibly impacting future generations, Reece said.

However, not everyone agrees with the research. Professor Wayne Hall of the University of Queensland’s National Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research described the journal entry as speculative. The commentary made questionable claims with weak evidence to prove a causal relationship between cancer and marijuana, Hall wrote.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report on states voting down measures to legalize marijuana in the 2024 election.