Marijuana Use And The Future Of Your Testicles

Marijuana, weed, grass, bud, chronic—all different names for the same dank thing. Preferred slang term aside, people of all generations have been lighting up more and more as of late. The wall of stigmas associated with smoking the ganja are slowly but surely starting to crumble.

Smoking this psychedelic substance is a popular pastime all over the world, for both medical and recreational purposes. This is not a new phenomenon by any means. There is strong evidence that marijuana was first inhaled way back in the 3rd millennium BCE!

Recent laws related to the decriminalization of marijuana in certain U.S. states have created another reason for the number of users to spike. While marijuana still remains illegal on a federal level, the capital city of Washington D.C. recently jumped on board the decriminalized bandwagon.

We should all understand the main risks associated with marijuana by now. Smoking anything creates a lot of heat which produces carcinogens that burn the lungs. Cigarettes still take the cake as far as harsh chemicals and addictive substances that are present, but regardless, smoking has long term damaging effects from carcinogens.

Beyond that, smoking weed can be very habit-forming and even addicting to some. Stigmas still exist for these types of behaviors. Many people argue that marijuana creates a “space cadet effect” among heavy users. It causes a lack of focus and spacey demeanor which is considered foolish and unsafe to many.

Many of these beliefs are over-critical and subjective, but there’s a theory that speaks for itself. It’s a theory that will slowly start to instill fear in male stoner culture. This idea is the link between smoking cannabis and testicular cancer.

This theory started gaining popularity around 2012. Many credible sources, including a post by Cancer.org, have been pointing out the frightening statistics for a number of years. In the study by Cancer.org, 455 men were closely monitored and then interviewed about their recreational drug use. 163 of these men were diagnosed with testicular germ cell tumors and 292 men not. There was a fairly staggering link between those with the cancerous tumors and those who smoked pot recreationally. Those who smoked were twice as likely to develop testicular cancer.

It may be worth pointing out that an episode of the animated TV show South Park, is roughly centered around this same thing. In the episode titled “Medicinal Fried Chicken,” main character Stan Marsh’s father, Randy, notices that the neighborhood Kentucky Fried Chicken has gone out of business and been replaced by a medical marijuana dispensary.

Randy wants to gain access to weed treasure chest he’s just unburied but soon finds out that he must have a medical condition to do so. He returns home, very disheartened. Then an idea strikes him. By inserting his testicles into the microwave, Randy Marsh successfully gives himself a rapidly mutated form of cancer, and behold: the green glory is attainable.

It is incredibly ironic that the character Randy Marsh gives himself testicular cancer in order to gain access to medical marijuana, especially now that the link between marijuana use and that type of cancer exists.

The risks of testicular cancer are no laughing matter. Seven in 10 deaths in the United States are from chronic illnesses, many of which stem directly from lifestyle choices.

More information on the link between cancer of the testis and the devil’s lettuce exists. A new study from the University of Southern California by Victoria Cortessis, PhD, has made some startling discoveries. In an interview Dr. Cortessis stated:

Detailed analysis of the data indicated that almost all of the elevated risk pertained to non-seminoma, a form of testicular cancer that tends to occur at earlier ages and to require more aggressive treatment.

It’s startling to hear that there is a link between testicular cancer and smoking pot, especially if you have been smoking your whole life. Ultimately, the individual is responsible for making his or her own smart choices. If you must partake in the chronic, moderation is probably your best friend. It’s impossible to know at this point whether inhaling cannabis every once and a while poses cancerous risks, but daily “wake and bakers” beware: The family jewels are at stake here.