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This is The Drug Report’s Friday Fact report - Studies Show the Health Risks of Daily Marijuana Use

Recently, several studies have been released that highlight the physical risks of daily or frequent marijuana use. A study published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery and featured on CNN showed that daily marijuana usage was linked to higher risks of certain cancers. Another study published in Atmospheric Environment: X and featured on Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation showed the health risks of secondhand marijuana smoke, meaning the risks are not isolated to the user.  

Daily marijuana use leads to: 

• 3-5 times higher chance to develop head and neck cancers: 2.5 times for oral cancer in patients with Cannabis Use Disorder and 5 times for oropharyngeal cancer 

• 8 times higher risk of laryngeal cancer 
   

Researchers have also found that the risk of heavy use is not isolated to the user:  

• Marijuana smoke creates 3 times more ammonia and higher levels of toxic metals in the air than tobacco smoke 

• Marijuana smoke creates 3.5 times more indoor air pollution than tobacco smoke 

The science proves marijuana is harmful to the health and well-being of people who use marijuana and those who are in close proximity.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is an alliance of organizations and individuals dedicated to a health-first approach to marijuana policy. We are professionals working in mental health and public health. We are bipartisan. We are medical doctors, lawmakers, treatment providers, preventionists, teachers, law enforcement officers and others who seek a middle road between incarceration and legalization. Our commonsense, third-way approach to marijuana policy is based on reputable science and sound principles of public health and safety.