Millions of Americans do it daily and it’s perfectly legal in dozens of US states.

But smoking weed could make one of the fastest-growing cancers even more fatal, according to a shock new study.

Consuming cannabis nearly every day increased the risk of dying from colon cancer by up to 20-fold, the research found.

The findings challenge the long-held belief in some circles that cannabis can treat cancer — something scientists now say may be dangerously misleading.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego tracked over 1,000 colon cancer patients and compared daily marijuana users to non-users. 

The difference was stark — people who used weed daily before their diagnosis had a 56 percent chance of dying within five years of spotting the cancer. That was 11 times higher than those who never touched the drug.

The outlook was even worse for patients who had an official cannabis addiction diagnosis. They were 24 times more likely to die than their peers within five years.

The experts believe THC, the active ingredient in cannabis that causes hallucinogenic effects, may cause inflammation in the colon, which causes cancer cells to grow. 

Bailey Hutchins of Tennessee is one of the tragic victims of colon cancer. She died earlier this year at age 26. There is no suggestion marijuana played a role

THC may also block the production of disease-fighting T cells, which normally destroy cancer cells. 

Additionally, cannabis use disorder may lead to depression and anxiety, making patients less likely to commit to cancer treatments, the researchers said.

However, just three percent of participants had cannabis use disorder, and it’s unclear what stage their cancers were. 

The researchers said more studies are needed to understand how exactly cannabis addiction may increase the risk of colon cancer death. 

But the findings come at a critical time: cannabis use among young people has never been higher and a record number of youngsters are developing colon cancer. 

According to recent data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 4.5 million young adults aged 18 to 25 in the US reported using cannabis daily or nearly every day.

And of them, eight in 10 daily users met the criteria for cannabis use disorder, indicating problematic patterns of use that can lead to health and social issues.

Overall about 18million Americans of all ages use marijuana daily or nearly everyday.

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is defined as using cannabis every day or nearly every day to the point where it negatively impacts a user’s life, such as making it difficult to hold down a job. 

Dr Raphael Cuomo, associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, said: ‘This study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that heavy cannabis use may have underrecognized impacts on the immune system, mental health and treatment behaviors — all of which could influence cancer outcomes.’ 

Evan White lost his four-year battle with colon cancer at age 29. Again, there is no suggestion weed was involved

Though the findings seem surprising, they come from the same institution that published a groundbreaking study last week tying the colon cancer epidemic in young Americans to childhood exposure to the common bacteria E. coli.

According to the latest data, early-onset colon cancer diagnoses in the US are expected to rise by 90 percent in people 20 to 34 years old between 2010 and 2030.  

In teens, rates have surged 500 percent since the early 2000s. 

Cannabis use is also on the rise, largely due to recent decriminalization across the US. 

From 1992 to 2022, for example, daily and near-daily use has seen a 15-fold rise. 

The new study, published Monday in the Annals of Epidemiology, look at medical records from 1,088 colon cancer patients in the University of California Health system between 2012 and 2024.

Of those, 34 were also diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. 

The average age at colon cancer diagnosis was 59. On average, patients with CUD were diagnosed four months before learning they also had colon cancer. 

After accounting for other health factors like age, gender and disease severity, the researchers found the risk of dying within five years of diagnosis for patients with an active cannabis addiction was 56 percent compared to five percent in non users. 

Additionally, patients diagnosed with CUD before colon cancer had a 24-fold increased risk of death within five years of diagnosis. 

The researchers wrote: ‘The results of this study indicate that a history of cannabis use disorder prior to colon cancer diagnosis is independently associated with an increased risk of mortality, even after adjusting for demographic and clinical confounders.’

THC in cannabis is thought to cause inflammation and suppress cancer-fighting cells (stock image) 

The experts are unsure exactly what caused the surge in mortality rate, but based on past research, they suggested THC could lead to harmful inflammation in the colon. 

This inflammation suppresses T cells, a type of white blood cell meant to kill cancer cells. 

Inflammation also damages colon tissue over time, causing cells to rapidly form to help repair the destruction. The faster cells form, the more likely they are to divide and mutate into cancer cells. 

Additionally, cannabis may lead to mental health consequences. 

Dr Cuomo said: ‘High cannabis use is often associated with depression, anxiety and other challenges that may compromise a patient’s ability to engage fully with cancer treatment.’

The study directly contradicts some earlier research which has suggested some compounds in cannabis may inhibit cancer cell growth. 

A 2019 study from Penn State researchers of 370 synthetic cannabis compounds, for example, found 10 of them slowed the growth of seven forms of colon cancer. 

However, those researchers cautioned the mechanism behind this is unclear.

Dr Cuomo said further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of cannabis addiction and colorectal cancer. 

Indepedent researchers also emphasized the need for increased research but were also ‘concerned’ about the findings.

Dr Rosario Ligresti, chief of gastroenterology at at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey who was not involved in the research, said: ‘This study raises serious concerns about the potential health risks associated with cannabis use.

‘While further research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms, these findings underscore the importance of educating the public about the potential dangers of marijuana, particularly in relation to colon cancer.’

Dr Ligresti also agreed marijuana may suppress T cells, leading to colon cancer developments.  

Despite the findings, Dr Cuomo emphasized the findings don’t mean cannabis users have to quit entirely.

He sadi: ‘This isn’t about vilifying cannabis. It’s about understanding the full range of its impacts, especially for people facing serious illnesses. 

‘We hope these findings encourage more research — and more nuanced conversations — about how cannabis interacts with cancer biology and care.’