LINK BETWEEN MARIJUANA, LUNG CANCER GOES UP IN SMOKE

The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking
marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer.

The new findings "were against our expectations," said Dr. Donald
Tashkin, a UCLA pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years.

"We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between
marijuana use and lung cancer and that the association would be more
positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no
association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."

Federal health and drug enforcement officials have widely used
Tashkin's previous work on marijuana to make the case that the drug is
dangerous. Tashkin said that while he still believes marijuana is
potentially harmful, its cancer-causing effects appear to be of less
concern than previously thought.