Heady Consequences

News Note

By Editorial Staff

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, April/May 2000.

The term “pot head” may take on new meaning with the release of a study from the University of California’s Jonsson Cancer Center. According to a December 1999 article in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarker and Prevention, researchers have found an increased risk for head and neck cancer in smokers of marijuana. Citing a strong dose-related carcinogenic response, the authors noted that frequency and longevity of use, as well as an interaction with cigarette smoking and alcohol use, further increased the risk. The study groups included 173 patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer and 176 cancer-free patients.