Marijuana as a potential respiratory tract carcinogen: a retrospective analysis of a community hospital population

Surgical pathology reports for the last four years were scanned for patients under the age of 40 with the diagnosis of respiratory tract carcinoma. A total of ten patients were identified and subsequently investigated for a history of marijuana use. Among these, seven revealed a history for significant exposure; five were categorized as heavy users and at least two as regular users. In view of these findings and a recent literature sampling, regular marijuana use appears to be an additional significant risk factor for the development of respiratory tract carcinoma.