Is Cannabis Giving Everyone Cancer?

Despite the scary headlines about genotoxicity, the answer is still probably no.

Photo by Matteo Paganelli on Unsplash

Humanity has a love-hate relationship with cannabis. Some people will cheerfully tell you, through puffs of their earthy-scented vape, that the plant is an almost magical cure-all that can remedy a wide variety of ailments. Others will point to the population statistics on schizophrenia and related health issues and tell you that it’s a poisonous drug which should be banned everywhere.

Recent media headlines seem to support the poison argument. According to the headlines, cannabis is “genotoxic” and can increase your risk of cancer. This seems very scary to the many people who have taken up the habit of the occasional joint, or even those who’ve once partaken of cannabis in their lives.

Fortunately, the research is not nearly as solid as the media is suggesting. While nothing is without risk, there’s no strong link between cannabis and cancer yet.

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