Cannabis harm worse than tobacco - Political Forum

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · 07-31-2007, 03:44 AM

Going to make you think twice about Mary J?

Cannabis harm worse than tobacco
A single cannabis joint could damage the lungs as much as smoking up to five tobacco cigarettes one after another, scientists in New Zealand have said.

The research, published in the journal Thorax, found cannabis damaged the large airways in the lungs causing symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. It also damaged the ability of the lungs to get oxygen to, and remove waste products from tissues. Experts say the study confirms that the drug represents a serious health risk.

In the study researchers from the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wakefield Hospital and the Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, studied 339 volunteers. They took CT scans of their lungs and tested their lung function through breathing tests to assess their lung damage.

Participants were divided into four groups - cannabis smokers, combined cannabis and tobacco smokers, tobacco smokers, and non-smokers, and gave them a questionnaire on their smoking habits. Cannabis smokers were included if they had smoked at least one joint per day for at least five years, while tobacco smokers had to have smoked 20 cigarettes per day for one year.

Cannabis smokers reported symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and excessive phlegm production. The drug also reduced the numbers of small, fine airways that transport oxygen and waste products to and from blood vessels in the lungs.

And it damaged the function of the large airways of the lungs, obstructing air flow and forcing the lungs to work harder, so contributing to symptoms such as coughing, and the development of bronchitis. The extent of this large airway damage was directly related to the number of joints smoked - the more joints smoked, the more damage was seen.

However, in this study, people who smoked only cannabis were not found to suffer from emphysema, a serious and crippling lung disease which was previously thought to be linked to the drug.

Impact

The authors said: "The most important finding was that one joint of cannabis was similar to 2.5 to five tobacco cigarettes in terms of causing airflow obstruction. They said the impact of cannabis was likely to be due to the way in which cannabis joints are smoked - joints do not usually have filters, and they reach higher temperatures with users inhaling more deeply and holding their breath for longer than cigarette smokers.

The British Lung Foundation welcomed the research, and Dr Keith Prowse, chairman of the foundation said: "This research confirms that cannabis poses a serious health risk to the lungs, and smoking a joint can be more harmful to the lungs than smoking a cigarette "It's important to remember, though, that tobacco continues to be more harmful overall because it is typically smoked in much higher quantities than cannabis."

The warnings come after recent research suggested cannabis smokers were 40% more likely than non-users to suffer psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Cannabis harm worse than tobacco

J.Locke777 · 07-31-2007, 03:48 AM

I've actually known this for quite a while. They could have just interviewed me.

Slartibartfas · 07-31-2007, 04:01 AM

Solution: Brownies

emptypepsi · 07-31-2007, 07:29 AM

@ Slarti, heeheehee.

In any case, smoking ANYTHING is not good for your lungs - period. There will be unquestionable damage after a certain point. I support legalization of Marijuana, but support also the liberty to take responsibility for your own actions when it comes to ingesting shit like that into your body. That is, smoke it all you like, but do not come running to me to help foot the bill for your lung cancer and/or emphysema. As another poster said, "Free enough to smoke it, Free enough to pay for it".

expatincebu · 07-31-2007, 08:18 AM

This contradicts other studies that have shown weed is not harmful to the lungs. One recent study found that smoking pot actually reduces the chances of lung cancer. It seems THC is beneficial in that way.

As another poster said any smoke in the lungs will produce effects. I would like to see a study like this on the effects of car exhaust. I know for myself that if I smoke a whole pack of cigarettes it is a LOT harder on my lungs than when i smoke a joint.

FRYandBENDER · 07-31-2007, 08:23 AM

You can always use a vaporizer too. You get all of the THC with no smoke.

perdidochas · 07-31-2007, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by expatincebu

This contradicts other studies that have shown weed is not harmful to the lungs. One recent study found that smoking pot actually reduces the chances of lung cancer. It seems THC is beneficial in that way.

It didn't contradict the other studies. The studies the OP showed stated that pot causes other lung damage--wheezing, bronchitis, etc. It said nothing about cancer, and specifically said that marijuana isn't associated with emphysema.

Quote:

Originally Posted by expatincebu

As another poster said any smoke in the lungs will produce effects. I would like to see a study like this on the effects of car exhaust. I know for myself that if I smoke a whole pack of cigarettes it is a LOT harder on my lungs than when i smoke a joint.

Actually, the study said a joint was equivalent to 2 1/2 cigarettes, so you should be comparing a whole pack (which is 20, IIRC) with 8 joints.

expatincebu · 07-31-2007, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perdidochas

It didn't contradict the other studies. The studies the OP showed stated that pot causes other lung damage--wheezing, bronchitis, etc. It said nothing about cancer, and specifically said that marijuana isn't associated with emphysema.

Actually, the study said a joint was equivalent to 2 1/2 cigarettes, so you should be comparing a whole pack (which is 20, IIRC) with 8 joints.

I read it 2 packs, not two cigarettes, my bad. Thanks for the correction. Seeing as most smokers go through at least half a pack a day and most pot heads smoke less than a joint a day I would say that Mary jane still comes out on top. With the more powerful pot out today you only need a couple of hits to get really high. My feeling, not scientific at all, is that driving to work in traffic you get more harmful stuff in your lungs.

HenryDavidThoreau · 07-31-2007, 01:09 PM

That is good then that you do not have to smoke it to use it, vaporize, baked in food, brewed in tea, etc.

There is a compund in the smoke that has anti-cancer and tumer properties which is why there are no cases of cancer from only marijuana smoking. Tobacco no matter how it enters your body is cancerous because it is radioactive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_...nts_of_tobacco

They wrote that entire article so they could sneak that reefer madness throwback comment, "the weed will make you go crazy." If there was a 40% increase in the chance for mental illness than there would be more cases of mental illness. If there was a cause and effect relation ship between marijuana and mental illness than the Netherlands would have an epidemic amount of mental illness which would be reported on by our new media based on sensationalism. There are no such news reports. Which leads me to the conclusion that there may be a lurking variable. Wouldn't a person with a dormant mental illness be more likely to self-medicate with drugs? Wouldn't someone who uses one illegal drug likely to use other illegal drugs? I do not believe the hype of these claims.

iTaliAN_ICe · 07-31-2007, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myrtus

Going to make you think twice about Mary J?

Cannabis harm worse than tobacco
A single cannabis joint could damage the lungs as much as smoking up to five tobacco cigarettes one after another, scientists in New Zealand have said.

The research, published in the journal Thorax, found cannabis damaged the large airways in the lungs causing symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. It also damaged the ability of the lungs to get oxygen to, and remove waste products from tissues. Experts say the study confirms that the drug represents a serious health risk.

In the study researchers from the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wakefield Hospital and the Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, studied 339 volunteers. They took CT scans of their lungs and tested their lung function through breathing tests to assess their lung damage.

Participants were divided into four groups - cannabis smokers, combined cannabis and tobacco smokers, tobacco smokers, and non-smokers, and gave them a questionnaire on their smoking habits. Cannabis smokers were included if they had smoked at least one joint per day for at least five years, while tobacco smokers had to have smoked 20 cigarettes per day for one year.

Cannabis smokers reported symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and excessive phlegm production. The drug also reduced the numbers of small, fine airways that transport oxygen and waste products to and from blood vessels in the lungs.

And it damaged the function of the large airways of the lungs, obstructing air flow and forcing the lungs to work harder, so contributing to symptoms such as coughing, and the development of bronchitis. The extent of this large airway damage was directly related to the number of joints smoked - the more joints smoked, the more damage was seen.

However, in this study, people who smoked only cannabis were not found to suffer from emphysema, a serious and crippling lung disease which was previously thought to be linked to the drug.

Impact

The authors said: "The most important finding was that one joint of cannabis was similar to 2.5 to five tobacco cigarettes in terms of causing airflow obstruction. They said the impact of cannabis was likely to be due to the way in which cannabis joints are smoked - joints do not usually have filters, and they reach higher temperatures with users inhaling more deeply and holding their breath for longer than cigarette smokers.

The British Lung Foundation welcomed the research, and Dr Keith Prowse, chairman of the foundation said: "This research confirms that cannabis poses a serious health risk to the lungs, and smoking a joint can be more harmful to the lungs than smoking a cigarette "It's important to remember, though, that tobacco continues to be more harmful overall because it is typically smoked in much higher quantities than cannabis."

The warnings come after recent research suggested cannabis smokers were 40% more likely than non-users to suffer psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Cannabis harm worse than tobacco

Yeah, but guess what? Weed isn't addictive like tobacco, so tobacco users will smoke much more than marijuana users and do much more damage to their lungs. I know someone who chain-smoked 3 1/2 packs a day. That's 50 or more cigarettes. When you compare smoking 50 cigarettes a day to 1 joint a day, the damage caused by the cigarettes is going to be much more significant due to the addiction they create. Furthermore, there is no known link between weed and lung cancer, something that claims the lives of many tobacco smokers. Conclusion? Weed is relatively harmless, especially compared to cigarettes.