Marijuana accelerates growth of HPV-related head and neck cancer (2020)

From the paper[1]:

"Similar to CNR1, the cannabinoid receptor CNR2 was also found to be highly expressed and correlated with worse prognosis in tumors such as breast cancer (16), renal cancer (17), lung cancer (51), and HNSCC (21). In our study, the expression of CNR2 mRNA was upregulated in HNSCC compared with normal samples, and much higher in HPV-positive HNSCC samples. Meanwhile, knockdown of the expression of CNR2 inhibited the proliferation of HPV-positive HNSCC in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the selective CNR2 agonist Hu308 increased the growth, migration, and inhibited the apoptosis of HPV-positive HNSCC cells, whereas the selective CNR2 antagonist SR144528 exhibited an opposite effect. These phenomena were also observed in other tumors such as colon cancer, in which CNR2 activation promoted cancer progression via the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway when cannabinoids used in concentrations similar to those in marijuana exposure (42)."

I hope someone with a background in this area can thoroughly evaluate this paper and explain to us laymen how reliable they think its methods and conclusions are. I also hope followup studies are done, particularly in humans, as this study was only carried out in cells and in mice.

As someone fighting cancer, this study worries me, despite the study being only done on cells and mice, and despite anti-drug research having a disgraceful history, which usually makes me take such studies with a grain of salt.

[1] - https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/26/11/2693

ERs have been flooded with severe cases of CHS over the past two decades. It's not just three people dying in rare cases, it's potentially 2.75 million[1] Americans experiencing CHS episodes every year which, given the 35 million[2] "regular" cannabis users, means that approximately 7% of users are susceptible.

For you to dismiss this horrific illness as "not fatal" and even "not dangerous" is outrageously arrogant and ignorant of a very real condition. You're essentially saying that those people did not matter, or did not exist, and that the pain and suffering I have experienced is irrelevant just because it's not the same experience as your own.

It is beyond disturbing that you feel so comfortable making medical claims about something you clearly have no understanding of. Shame on you.

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29327809/

"Among 2127 patients approached for participation, 155 met inclusion criteria as smoking 20 or more days per month. Among those surveyed, 32.9% (95% CI, 25.5-40.3%) met our criteria for having experienced CHS. If this is extractable to the general population, approximately 2.75 million (2.13-3.38 million) Americans may suffer annually from a phenomenon similar to CHS."

[2] https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article145...

"Close to 35 million are what the survey calls "regular users," or people who use marijuana at least once or twice a month."

HPV is incredibly common, contagious, and causes no noticeable effects in the overwhelming majority of cases. If you've had sex with more than one person, or the person you've had sex with has had sex with more than one, you've probably been exposed to one or more strains.