--- title: "New Research: Cannabis Accelerates Growth of Common Tumors" description: "A new study by researchers at the University of California in San Diego found that the presence of THC — the stuff that makes you high in cannabis — in the bloodstream can accelerate the tumor growth in patients with HPV-related head and neck cancer. “We now have convincing scientific evidence that daily marijuana use […]" date: "2020-01-15" modified: "2020-02-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/research-thc-accelerates-growth-tumors" categories: - "Cancer" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" tags: - "cancer" - "cannabis" - "marijuana" - "thc" --- # New Research: Cannabis Accelerates Growth of Common Tumors ![A new study found that the presence of THC in the blood can accelerate growth of tumors in patients with HPV infection-related head and neck cancer.]() *\Image: Images via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* A [new study]() by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine [found]() that THC — the stuff in cannabis that makes you high — can accelerate the growth of tumors in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. "We now have convincing scientific evidence that daily marijuana use can drive tumor growth in HPV-related head and neck cancer," said co-author Joseph Califano [in a statement](). Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer in the world, according to the researchers. 30 percent of cases of this disease are related to HPV infection — the kind identified in the study to be accelerated by the presence of THC in the bloodstream. The researchers identified a particular cellular pathway that controls cell death, which gets inhibited when THC is present in the bloodstream. Once activated, the pathway normally allows cells to die off — a part of the development of cell growth. THC however inhibited this pathway, allowing cancer cells to grow at an uncontrollable rate. In animal trials, they found that THC interfered with the pathway in mice that had THC injected to mimic daily marijuana use. Five human patients with HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and THC in their bloodstream showed the same effect. HPV infections are common, with over 80 percent of the world's population harboring some type of the virus before the age of 45, [according to *Inverse*](). Luckily, most cases clear up on their own. There are also several vaccines that can prevent most HPV-related cancers. The team is now investigating whether CBD, another common ingredient in cannabis, interferes with the same pathway. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()