Long-term marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of which health condition?

Long-term marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of which health condition?

• A. Lung cancer
• B. Liver failure
• C. Kidney stones
• D. Celiac disease

Answer: (A)

Long-term inhaled smoke from marijuana introduces the lungs to carcinogens and irritants similar to those in tobacco smoke. Over years of use, this exposure can lead to cellular changes in lung tissue, increasing the risk of developing lung cancer. The exact magnitude of risk is still debated and influenced by how much and how long someone smokes, and by whether tobacco is also used, but the mechanism—carcinogens in the smoke reaching lung cells—provides the link to cancer risk. The other conditions listed aren’t primarily caused by marijuana smoking. Liver failure is more commonly tied to factors like chronic alcohol use or liver diseases; kidney stones relate to hydration, diet, and metabolic factors; and celiac disease is an autoimmune response to gluten.

Long-term inhaled smoke from marijuana introduces the lungs to carcinogens and irritants similar to those in tobacco smoke. Over years of use, this exposure can lead to cellular changes in lung tissue, increasing the risk of developing lung cancer. The exact magnitude of risk is still debated and influenced by how much and how long someone smokes, and by whether tobacco is also used, but the mechanism—carcinogens in the smoke reaching lung cells—provides the link to cancer risk.

The other conditions listed aren’t primarily caused by marijuana smoking. Liver failure is more commonly tied to factors like chronic alcohol use or liver diseases; kidney stones relate to hydration, diet, and metabolic factors; and celiac disease is an autoimmune response to gluten.