By TruthOnPot.com on May 14, 2013
TruthOnPot.com – Recent findings of an 11-year study have linked frequent marijuana use to a lower risk of bladder cancer.
Marijuana may act directly on the bladder.Image source
While the study confirmed that smoking cigarettes heightens the risk of developing bladder cancer, marijuana seemed to have the opposite effect.
“Cannabis use only was associated with a 45 percent reduction in bladder cancer incidence, and tobacco use only was associated with a 52 percent increase in bladder cancer,” study author Dr. Anil A. Thomas, a fellow in urology at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles,told USA Today.
Interestingly, the researchers also identified a link between the amount of cannabis used and the risk of bladder cancer. Individuals who reported smoking marijuana over 500 times a year experienced a lower risk of bladder cancer than less frequent users.
Although non-smokers were not included in the study, the results showed that those who smoked both substances were at a lower risk of bladder cancer than cigarette-only smokers.
Thomas says his findings are not enough to prove a cause-and-effect relationship just yet, but notes the potential for cannabis to act at the bladder level.
“The theory is that there are receptors in the bladder that are affected by cannabis,” Thomas states.
In fact, a study published earlier this year demonstrated the presence of cannabinoid receptors on various parts of the bladder as well as their role in controlling the urge to urinate.
Other studies have linked cannabis use with improvements in urinary incontinence episodes.
Still, marijuana’s potential to reduce the risk of bladder cancer has yet to be deeply explored, although the new findings seem to support further investigation. Bladder cancer is a widespread disease that will affect approximately 1 in 26 men at some point in their lives.
The study was funded by the Kaiser Permanente Research and Evaluation Center and is awaiting peer review.
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