Great discussion in the comments on Going to Pot: Weed and Testicular Cancer and Could smoking pot raise testicular cancer risk? We should point out that as cannabis consumers, we welcome legit research into cannabis and its potential harms. If cannabis does cause an increased risk for testicular cancer, so be it. But when you report that, point out that testicular cancer risk is incredibly low, so an increased risk is still incredibly low. When you report “70% increase of risk”, it’s like saying buying two lotto tickets doubles your chances of winning — it’s true, but statistically meaningless. Also point out that risk for lung cancer for smokers or colorectal cancer for drinkers is incredibly high, yet nobody proposes arresting smokers or drinkers for their own good.
But is it paranoid for me to believe in some “Dr. Evil / P.A.I.N.” conspiracy that works to keep drug-war-damaging stories out of the headlines and reefer madness scaremongering in the headlines?
You be the judge. There are two brand new studies out on marijuana, published this month. The first one, as you know, is this study showing an increased risk of testicular cancer for heavy marijuana smokers.
Go to news.google.com and click onto the Health section. You’ll find (as of this moment):
Just Say No … or Else You Get Cancer?
ABC News - 9 hours ago
By RADHA CHITALE Internet photos of swimming phenomenon Michael Phelps, 23, possibly indulging in an Olympian lungful of marijuana smoke scandalized many and may have caused him to lose face and the faith of some of his fans — not to mention a …
Could smoking pot raise testicular cancer risk? CNN
all 181 news articles »
181 news articles on smoking pot giving you nut cancer, very few with any perspective on the rarity of nut cancer and the admittedly tentative results of the study.
Now while you’re on the Health section, search for the other study, published this month in the American Journal of Transplantation. This study shows that “Patients who tested positive for marijuana prior to liver transplant have survival similar to patients who did not.” Maybe not as sexy as story as impending testicular doom for stoners, but relevant considering that the news media did cover the story of Tim Garon being rejected for a life-saving liver transplant due to his medical marijuana usage.
What, no hits for “marijuana liver transplant”? Try just “transplant” at news.google.com. Don’t even limit yourself to the Health section.
Not 181 hits. Not 18 hits. Not even 1 hit. Bad news conjecture about marijuana = 181 stories. Good news fact about marijuana = 0 stories. Am I paranoid?
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I just got diagnosed with testicular cancer a week ago and am now recovering from the surgery. I smoke a rather large amount of ganja! 7am to midnight and hashish too. I probably smoke enough to get 10 moderate smokers blazed! I want to get a prescription for cannabis, and I’m worried that this new so called “scientific” study is going to have my doctor convinced not to give me the o.k. I’m going to keep enjoying ganja anyway, but I would like to have the legal right, and growing my own would help me a lot because ganja is too dang expensive!!!
You may be a little paranoid. There is good news about marijuana. The DEA is being completely revamped at the moment, and we’ll soon be looking at an entirely new drug policy. Patience is a virtue.
Everyone should look at this as a somewhat positive story. In the fact that it is some news coverage. I particularly like the quote that says “There’s been very little research done on marijuana use and its association with cancer risk”. This is pointed out early in the story too. Perhaps it will help encourage the ‘possibility’ of some scientific studies whether good or bad. Seems like a cool (but sneaky) way to have some real research performed, well… maybe in the fight for the ability to allow more studies to happen(?) By using an obviously negligible increase in acquiring a rare cancer to begin with… Maybe some other results may be uncovered on the way?
You are not paranoid you see the true reality.
Yellow journalism/propaganda is alive and well.