New research from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine reveals that people with cannabis use disorder face more than triple the risk of developing oral cancer within five years. Furthermore, the study analysed electronic health records from over 45,000 patients and found that cannabis linked to oral cancer represents a significant health concern.

Study Findings

Specifically, Dr Raphael Cuomo, associate professor in the Department of Anaesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, led the research examining 949 patients diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. Moreover, the results, published in Preventive Medicine Reports, showed that after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking status, people with cannabis use disorder had a 325 per cent higher likelihood of contracting oral cancer within five years.

Additionally, the risk proved even more pronounced among tobacco smokers. Those who smoked tobacco and had cannabis use disorder were 624 per cent more likely to develop oral cancer compared to tobacco smokers without the disorder. (for complete research WRD News)

A damning counter-policy response has exposed Australian cannabis legalisation proposals as a dangerous deception that would unleash devastating public health consequences. The comprehensive analysis of the Penington Cannabis Control Plan reveals how “health-first” rhetoric masks commercialisation that prioritises addiction-for-profit economics over genuine community wellbeing.

The document warns that cannabis control Australia advocates ignore overwhelming evidence from jurisdictions where legalisation has failed spectacularly. “Once a substance is trivialised, normalised, decriminalised, legalised then commercialised – harms will increase and the human cost in short and long-term harms, not least to the emerging generation will be incalculable,” the analysis states.

Devastating Health Evidence Ignored by Legalisation Advocates

Between 2019 and 2024, dozens of peer-reviewed medical journal population studies completed on massive populations, including 330 million US citizens from 50 states and significant populations from 14 European countries, confirm what has been known for decades: cannabis is mutagenic, carcinogenic and teratogenic.

The public health impacts revealed by these studies are substantial. Cannabis is shown to be causal in:

• 33 cancers compared to 16 for tobacco, where Cannabidiol (CBD) is the most carcinogenic cannabinoid at 12 cancers
• Cancers which make up 70% of paediatric cancer cases
• 90 birth defects out of 95 tracked in the European Union including hole in the heart, cleft lip/palate and limb deformities
• Autism, where CBD is once again heavily implicated
• Premature ageing of users by 30% at 30 years

“The studies show that cannabis provides a greater burden, in terms of cancers caused in a population, than either tobacco or alcohol,” the document states. Yet Australian cannabis legalisation proponents remain “culpably silent on the very real demonstrable costs that far outweigh its touted benefits.”

International Experience Proves Control Impossible

The analysis systematically demolishes claims that cannabis control Australia schemes can prevent harm. Evidence from legalised jurisdictions tells a different story entirely:

Cannabis Use Disorder is rising, with over 40% of schizophrenia cases in Canadian youth now linked to cannabis use. Emergency department visits among young people have surged post-legalisation in both Canada and parts of the US.

Criminal markets persist: In California, the black market remains larger than the legal one. In Oregon, cannabis-related organised crime and illegal grows have increased since Measure 110. In Colorado, youth access through diverted legal supply remains a top concern of police departments.

Regulation systematically fails: Age restrictions are routinely bypassed through social sourcing, straw purchasers, and online sales. In Colorado, over 40% of youth report accessing cannabis through someone else’s legal purchase. Potency limits are either unenforced or raised over time, under pressure from commercial operators seeking higher profits.

The document warns: “The idea that cannabis can be safely controlled through retail licensing ignores the reality of regulatory capture. As with tobacco and alcohol, once an addictive industry is legalised, it does not stay in its lane.”

Economic Claims Exposed as Fraudulent

Australian cannabis legalisation advocates suggest the policy will generate tax revenue, create jobs, and reduce enforcement costs. The document exposes these claims as “economically optimistic, but empirically empty.”

The data shows:

• In California, legal operators are going bankrupt due to price collapse and black market competition
• In Canada, tax revenues from cannabis make up less than 0.4% of total federal revenue, while mental health and healthcare costs continue to rise
• A 2024 cost-benefit analysis found that for every dollar earned in cannabis tax revenue, up to $4.50 is spent on downstream public costs, including healthcare, road trauma, regulation, and lost productivity

The analysis notes that 43% or $59 billion of Australia’s total $137 billion smoking-related costs in 2015/16 came from cancers alone. With cannabis causing more cancers than tobacco, these costs would escalate dramatically under Australian cannabis legalisation.

“Legalisation does create jobs — mostly in marketing, lobbying, and packaging — but these come at the cost of public health and workforce reliability,” the document states. “Youth daily use increases, absenteeism rises, and workplace accidents become more frequent in states and provinces that legalise.”

Australia’s Failed Medical Cannabis Framework Signals Disaster

The document highlights how Australia’s existing ‘Vote for Medicine’ framework demonstrates regulatory failure, describing it as “a very thin facade of medical legitimacy tasked to facilitate recreational use to growing numbers of uninformed customers.” This system serves as “a clear harbinger of only further harms that will be precipitated by the expansion and repetition of these current failed regulation protocols.”

Prevention Framework Offers Real Solutions

Rather than pursuing cannabis control Australia policies that have failed elsewhere, the analysis advocates for proven prevention and recovery models:

• Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison’s sub-1% recidivism rate
• Kenton County’s two-phase Strong Start program, which slashed reoffending by over 60%
• Portsmouth, Ohio models showing whole-of-community recovery through integrated housing, employment pathways, trauma-informed counselling, and wraparound services

The document emphasises that “the only model that manages to achieve control outcomes has been the QUIT campaign on Tobacco. The gold standard of ‘denormalisation’ is the key. All media, education, government and health policies and practices have only One Focus, One Message and One Voice – QUIT.”

A Philosophy of Managed Despair

The analysis delivers a devastating verdict on Australian cannabis legalisation: “It has become a philosophy of surrender, where managed despair is mistaken for compassion and policy ambitions have shrunk to keeping people alive in misery rather than enabling them to live with dignity and hope.”

The document concludes: “What Australia needs is not a Cannabis Control Plan, but a Cannabis Prevention and Recovery Framework” that centres on evidence-based prevention, structured diversion programs, and genuine recovery support rather than commercial normalisation of an addictive psychotropic substance.

Australia faces a clear choice: repeat the devastating mistakes of other jurisdictions that prioritised industry profits over public health, or choose evidence-based prevention that protects future generations from avoidable harm.

Source: Dalgarno Institute

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis has revealed alarming evidence of cannabis and suicide risk that persists even when depression is controlled for in research studies. The landmark study, published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, examined over 1,000 articles across major databases and included 25 studies in its systematic review, providing the most thorough analysis to date of the relationship between cannabis use and suicidal behaviours.

The findings challenge assumptions about the role of depression in cannabis-related suicidal behaviour, demonstrating that marijuana suicidal behaviour connections exist independently of depressive symptoms. This research carries significant implications as cannabis becomes increasingly normalised and legalised across the globe, yet its full impact on mental health remains poorly understood.

Significant Cannabis and Suicide Risk Identified Across Age Groups

The meta-analysis revealed consistent patterns of elevated cannabis and suicide risk across different populations. Among adolescents, cannabis use showed a 46% increased likelihood of suicidal ideation and an 85% higher risk of suicide attempts compared to non-users, even after controlling for depression. These statistics represent substantial increases in danger for young people who use cannabis.

Adult populations demonstrated even more concerning patterns of marijuana suicidal behaviour. Adults who used cannabis faced a 78% increased likelihood of suicidal ideation compared to non-users, again with depression factors already accounted for in the analysis. These findings suggest that cannabis suicide risk affects individuals across the lifespan, not merely vulnerable adolescent populations.

The research examined 240,000 suspected opioid overdoses that Canadian paramedics responded to between 2017 and 2024, with more than 50,000 proving fatal. However, the study’s focus on cannabis specifically reveals additional layers of substance-related mental health dangers that extend beyond opioid crises.

Depression Does Not Fully Explain Marijuana Suicidal Behaviour

One of the study’s most significant findings concerns the role of depression in cannabis suicide risk. Whilst depression has long been considered a primary factor linking cannabis use to suicidal thoughts and behaviours, this research demonstrates that the relationship persists even when depressive symptoms are statistically controlled.

The researchers found that depression may partially confound the association between cannabis use and suicidality, but does not entirely explain it. This suggests that cannabis use poses an independent risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviours, separate from its known associations with depressive disorders.

Nearly half of the studies examined found no significant relationship between cannabis use and suicidality after adjusting for depression, highlighting the complex and nuanced nature of this evidence. However, the overall pattern clearly demonstrates elevated marijuana suicidal behaviour risks that cannot be attributed solely to depressive symptoms.

Mechanisms Behind Cannabis Suicide Risk

The research identified several potential mechanisms that could explain the independent cannabis suicide risk observed in the studies. Cannabis use may serve as a form of self-medication for individuals experiencing mental health difficulties, potentially worsening their condition over the long term rather than providing genuine relief.

Cannabis use has also been found to lower the effectiveness of antidepressants, potentially increasing suicide risk among individuals receiving treatment for depression. This interaction effect suggests that marijuana suicidal behaviour patterns may be particularly dangerous for those already receiving mental health treatment.

Heavy cannabis use shows associations with increased impulsivity, which researchers suggest could contribute to higher suicide risk. This impulsivity factor represents another pathway through which cannabis suicide risk may operate independently of depression, affecting decision-making capabilities during crisis moments.

Inconsistent Evidence on Depression as a Moderator

The research examined whether depression might moderate the relationship between cannabis use and suicidal behaviours, potentially making marijuana suicidal behaviour more likely among individuals already experiencing depressive symptoms. However, the findings proved inconsistent and inconclusive.

Six studies investigated depression’s potential moderating role, with four reporting significant but conflicting results. Among adolescents, one study found that those with both cannabis use disorder and depression had higher odds of attempting suicide than those with cannabis use disorder alone. However, another study found that cannabis suicide risk was only significant among adolescents with no history of depression.

Adult studies showed slightly more consistency, with two suggesting that the association between cannabis use and suicidality was stronger among adults with major depressive disorder. However, a third study found no statistically significant differences between depressed and non-depressed adults regarding marijuana suicidal behaviour patterns.

Critical Research Gaps in Cannabis Suicide Risk

The systematic review revealed significant gaps in current research on cannabis suicide risk that limit comprehensive understanding of these relationships. No observational quantitative studies investigated the potential mediating role of depression in the relationship between cannabis use and suicidal behaviours.

Most studies included in the analysis were cross-sectional rather than longitudinal, making it difficult to establish causal relationships or understand the temporal sequence of cannabis use, depression onset, and suicidal behaviour development. This limitation prevents researchers from determining whether cannabis use leads to increased suicide risk or whether individuals at higher suicide risk are more likely to use cannabis.

The research also highlighted insufficient investigation of suicide attempts among adults, with most adult-focused studies examining only suicidal ideation. This gap represents a significant limitation in understanding the full scope of marijuana suicidal behaviour across different age groups and types of suicidal behaviour.

Publication Bias and Quality Concerns

The analysis identified concerning evidence of publication bias in cannabis suicide risk research, with funnel plots and statistical tests suggesting that studies with non-significant results may be underrepresented in the published literature. This bias could potentially overestimate the strength of associations between cannabis use and suicidal behaviours.

Quality assessments revealed additional concerns about the robustness of existing research. Many studies received only medium-quality ratings due to reliance on self-reported variables, small sample sizes, high attrition rates, or limited covariate adjustment. These methodological limitations reduce confidence in individual study findings.

The heterogeneity of adjustment variables across studies complicated meta-analysis efforts, as researchers chose to include only studies with sufficient comparability. This selection process may have introduced additional bias whilst attempting to ensure meaningful statistical comparison of marijuana suicidal behaviour across different research contexts.

Implications for Public Health Policy

The findings carry major public health implications, particularly given ongoing debates about cannabis legalisation in many countries. The evidence that cannabis suicide risk persists independently of depression suggests that cannabis use should be viewed as a direct risk factor for suicidal behaviours, not merely a consequence of underlying mental health conditions.

The research challenges common assumptions about cannabis as a form of self-medication, suggesting that such use may have unanticipated negative consequences for individuals experiencing mental health difficulties. This finding has particular relevance for countries where cannabis self-medication is common or promoted as a treatment approach.

Healthcare providers should be aware that standard depression screening and treatment may not fully address marijuana suicidal behaviour risks among cannabis users. Additional screening and intervention strategies may be necessary to identify and address elevated suicide risk in this population.

The study’s authors emphasise the need for evidence-based mental health programmes rather than well-intentioned but ineffective interventions. Fewer than 10 mental health programmes marketed to Canadian governments out of 300 total possessed evidence demonstrating their effectiveness, highlighting the importance of rigorous evaluation in addressing cannabis suicide risk.

Future Research Priorities

The researchers identified several critical priorities for advancing understanding of cannabis suicide risk. Longitudinal studies with multiple time points are essential for establishing temporal relationships between cannabis use, depression onset, and suicidal behaviour development.

Investigation of comorbid mental health conditions beyond depression could help clarify whether other psychiatric disorders confound, mediate, or moderate the association between cannabis use and suicidality. Cannabis use shows systematic associations with bipolar, borderline, and psychotic disorders, all of which correlate with both depression and suicidality.

Research should also examine dose-dependent relationships between cannabis use frequency and marijuana suicidal behaviour, as most existing studies used binary cannabis use variables that may obscure important variations in risk based on consumption patterns. Understanding these relationships could inform more targeted prevention and intervention strategies. (Source: WRD News) 

Overview:

This Policy Proposal has been designed for Australia with the hard learned lessons from other jurisdictions in mind. Ensuring faux claims of perceived manageability are addressed. Not only has there been considerable consultation with health, legal and policy professionals, but with the voice of the vast silent majority of non-substance users being heard. Informing and being informed by this majority demographic who have been kept in the dark on this now heavily engineered and dangerous psychotropic toxin.

Australians deserve best practice safety, health and wellbeing policy.

Alcohol and Tobacco are still the greatest contributors of harm to the public health and safety arena. Adding another psychotropic toxin to the currents of trade will only amplify and add to these growing community harms.

Once a substance is trivialised, normalised, decriminalised, legalised then commercialised – harms will increase and the human cost in short and long-term harms, not least to the emerging generation will be incalculable.

All that will be achieved is the greater accessibility, availability and acceptability of a now addictive and demand sustaining substance. Add to

that, commercialisation – you now have another thriving addiction for profit industry decimating public and community health, with impunity. This is completely contrary to good public health, safety and productivity.

This document will demonstrate that the Penington Institute modelling of vast sums of money to be garnered by the Victorian Government from tax revenues and increased employment will be far outweighed by the health and social costs presented by cannabis legalisation, and that the Penington document is culpably silent on the very real demonstrable costs that far outweigh its touted benefits.

The ‘Perfect Permission’ model of legalised substances has not removed the criminal dealer from the market place, and will not do so in Australia. If the argument is applied that ‘enforcement will ensure the regulated market will not be undermined or black market cannabis continues’, then we could argue that could be done now, whilst the substance is still technically illegal. It is all about political will.

The question then becomes not whether a substance can be policed, but whether there is the political will to police it in the best interest of public health, safety and wellbeing.

Download Policy Proposal Here

A major new study has uncovered a deeply concerning connection between cannabis use and dramatically rising cancer rates amongst adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in North America. This comprehensive study, analysing data from 2000 to 2019, provides compelling evidence that cannabis exposure may be accelerating breast and testicular cancer incidence in young people at an unprecedented rate.

The Scope of Rising Cancer Rates in Young People

The statistics paint a troubling picture. In the United States, breast cancer diagnoses in females aged 20-34 increased by a staggering 26% between 2000 and 2019, rising from 3,622 new cases to 4,868 cases annually. Similarly, testicular cancer in males aged 15-39 saw a 21% increase, climbing from 5,111 to 6,181 new cases per year.

What makes these figures particularly alarming is the acceleration pattern observed in the data. Breast cancer rates in young women showed a dramatic surge after 2010, with the annual percentage increase jumping from 0.61% during 2000-2010 to 1.73% during 2010-2019—a staggering 182% acceleration. This timeline corresponds directly with the progressive legalisation of cannabis across various American states.

Cannabis Legalisation and Cancer Incidence: A Disturbing Correlation

The research examined cancer registry data from 22 states representing nearly half the US population, categorising regions based on their cannabis legalisation status. The findings reveal a stark difference between areas that had legalised cannabis and those that had not.

In states that legalised cannabis, breast cancer rates in young women increased at 1.3% annually, compared to just 0.7% in non-legalising states. For testicular cancer, the disparity was even more pronounced. Legalising states showed continuous increases of 1.2% annually throughout the study period, whilst non-legalising states experienced no significant increase until 2011, followed by a much smaller rise thereafter.

By 2019, cancer incidence rates had become notably higher in cannabis-legalising jurisdictions. Breast cancer increased by 26% in legalising regions compared to 13% in non-legalising areas, whilst testicular cancer rose by 24% versus 17% respectively.

Cannabis Use and Cancer Risk: The Biological Connection

The research provides compelling evidence for a biological mechanism linking cannabis exposure to cancer development. Both breast and testicular tissues contain endocannabinoid receptors, particularly cannabidiol receptor 1 (CB-1), which interact directly with cannabis compounds. This creates a pathway through which cannabis can potentially trigger carcinogenic processes.

Furthermore, cannabis acts as an endocrine disruptor, interfering with luteinising hormone and gonadotropin receptors present in both breast and testicular tissue. This hormonal disruption may create conditions conducive to cancer development, particularly in young people whose reproductive systems are still developing.

The study found that triple-negative breast cancer—the most aggressive form—showed the strongest correlation with cannabis legalisation, with rates increasing by 5.6% annually in legalising states compared to 2.5% in non-legalising regions.

International Evidence: Canada’s Experience

Canada’s experience provides additional concerning evidence. Following nationwide cannabis legalisation in 2018, Canada has experienced even more dramatic increases than the United States. Breast cancer in young Canadian women aged 20-34 increased by 35% between 2000 and 2019, whilst testicular cancer in males aged 15-39 surged by an extraordinary 83%.

The research reveals that cannabis use disorder prevalence in Canada is highest amongst 15-24 year olds, with cancer incidence peaks occurring 5-15 years later in life—suggesting a concerning latency period between cannabis exposure and cancer development.

THC Potency: An Escalating Threat

Modern cannabis products pose an amplified risk due to dramatically increased THC concentrations. The study found strong correlations between rising THC potency and cancer incidence rates, with correlation coefficients of 0.85 for breast cancer and 0.94 for testicular cancer.

Today’s cannabis contains THC levels far exceeding those of previous decades, potentially explaining the acceleration in cancer rates observed in recent years. This increased potency may be particularly concentrated in legalising jurisdictions where cannabis industries focus on developing high-THC products.

Demographic Patterns and Vulnerable Populations

The research identified concerning demographic patterns in cannabis-related cancer risk. Among ethnic groups, breast cancer correlations with cannabis legalisation were strongest in non-Hispanic white and black females, whilst testicular cancer correlations were most pronounced in Hispanic and Native American males.

These patterns reflect known cannabis usage demographics, with the research noting that cannabis use among female adolescents in the United States is highest among non-Hispanic whites, aligning with the observed cancer trends.

Time to Cancer Development: A Rapid Threat

Perhaps most alarming is the speed at which cannabis appears to trigger cancer development. The age patterns observed suggest that cannabis-induced cancers may develop within 5-10 years of exposure, with most cases occurring within 5-15 years. This rapid timeline contradicts assumptions that cancer development requires decades of exposure to carcinogenic substances.

For young people beginning cannabis use in their teens or early twenties, this means potential cancer diagnoses could occur during what should be their healthiest years, with devastating consequences for their future health and wellbeing.

Treatment Outcomes: Cannabis Compounds the Problem

Beyond increasing cancer risk, cannabis use may also compromise treatment effectiveness once cancer develops. Research on metastatic breast cancer patients found that cannabis users experienced significantly shorter progression-free survival (3.4 versus 13.1 months) and overall survival (6.4 versus 28.5 months) compared to non-users.

These findings suggest that cannabis not only increases cancer risk but may also reduce the chances of successful treatment, creating a double jeopardy for young people who use these substances.

Public Health Implications and Prevention

The evidence presented demands urgent reconsideration of cannabis policies and public health messaging. With adolescents and young adults representing the highest cannabis-using demographic—18-25 year olds show the highest usage rates in the United States—targeted prevention efforts are crucial.

The research challenges common misconceptions about cannabis safety, particularly the notion that it represents a “natural” or “harmless” alternative to other substances. The data clearly demonstrates that cannabis use carries serious long-term health consequences that can manifest relatively quickly in young users.

The Need for Immediate Action

This study provides the strongest evidence yet linking cannabis use and cancer risk in young people. The timing patterns, biological explanations, and consistent results across both countries all point to serious health risks that need immediate attention.

Too many young people, parents, teachers, and politicians still think cannabis is harmless – something popular culture has made worse. But the evidence shows that using cannabis as a teenager or young adult can lead to cancer in just a few years, not the decades we might expect.

The best way to protect young people from these serious health problems is prevention. When people understand the real risks of cannabis use, they can make better choices about their health and their future. (Source: WRD News academia.edu)