Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Florida, and the University of Connecticut have published a study that suggests marijuana use may be linked to lower prostate cancer prevalence.
Utilizing data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health spanning 2002 to 2020, the study involved a significant sample size of 2,503 participants across the United States. The participants were categorized based on their marijuana use status: current users, former users, and those who have never used. The researchers also incorporated eleven demographic variables as covariates to ensure the accuracy of their findings.
Researchers found that prostate cancer prevalence was notably lower in current marijuana users (31.7%) and former users (31.6%) compared to those who have never used marijuana (39.9%). This difference was statistically significant, suggesting a protective effect of marijuana against prostate cancer. Further analysis revealed that this trend was particularly pronounced among the elderly (aged 65 and above) and non-Hispanic whites, with current and former users showing significantly lower rates of prostate cancer compared to non-users in these groups.
Interestingly, while the study noted a protective trend associated with current marijuana use, the statistical significance was not strong enough to be conclusive, likely due to the smaller sample size of current users. However, the association between former marijuana use and reduced prostate cancer prevalence was both significant and compelling, with an odds ratio of 0.74.
While the study provides valuable insights, the authors noted that further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms through which marijuana may impact prostate cancer prevalence and to explore the effects in different population subgroups.
The study can be found by clicking here.
