This population-based study did not find a statistically significant increase in the risk of head and neck cancer in young adults from cannabis use. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Cannabis use and cancer of the head and neck: case-control study.
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008 Mar ;138(3):374-80. PMID: 18312888
Sarah Aldington
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether cannabis smoking increases the risk of head and neck cancer.
DESIGN: Case-control study.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Cases of head and neck cancer
RESULTS: There were 75 cases and 319 controls. An increased risk of cancer was found with increasing tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and decreased income but not increasing cannabis use. The highest tertile of cannabis use (>8.3 joint years) was associated with a nonsignificant increased risk of cancer (relative risk = 1.6, 95% confidence interval, 0.5-5.2) after adjustment for confounding variables.
CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis use did not increase the risk of head and neck cancer; however, because of the limited power and duration of use studied, a small or longer-term effect cannot be excluded.