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by Anonymous on January 16th, 2004

Anonymous

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Is smoking marijuana more harmful to your lungs than smoking cigarettes?

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  • by Kim Siever on January 16th, 2004

    Kim Siever

    Likely not. Though marijuana and tobacco smoke are virtually identical (see report below), marijuana users generally consume far less than tobacco users. Typically, a tobacco user will consume more than 10 tobacco cigarettes a day, while a marijuana user will consumer one marijuana cigarette a day or less. There are exceptions, but generally speaking, marijuana users consume less than tobacco users.

    As a result, marijuana users will have fewer lung problems (or at least to a lesser degree). Strictly speaking, however, inhaling any burning substance in to your lungs will cause pulmonary irritation, which could lead to adverse respiratory symptoms.

    Huber, G.L. et al, "The Effects of Marihuana on the Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems," pp 3-18 in G. Chesher et al (eds), Marijuana: an International Research Report, Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service (1988).

    [Added in response to James Edwards]

    The length of time the smoke is held in the lungs is irrelevant since most marijuana users smoke less marijuana cigarettes than tobacco cigarettes consumed by tobacco users. As I mentioned above, on average tobacco users smoke ten times more cigarettes than marijuana users.

    If you still do not agree with me, feel free to read the work cited above for more academic information on the issue.

    Don't rate something negative in retaliation for a negative rating you have received.

    Comments

    • Good point about smoking less, though it should also be said that marijuana doesn't have additives like tar.

      WarSpite

      by WarSpite on January 17th, 2004

    • good to know. i do both

      Ali Bulut

      by Ali Bulut on January 20th, 2004

    • Most marijuana smokers hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers, causing more damage with less usage.

      James Edwards

      by James Edwards on November 12th, 2004

    • A study done in 2005 shows that smoking marijuana is FAR less damaging than tobacco smoke

      Anonymous

      by Anonymous on February 3rd, 2006

    • the amount of time you hold the smoke is irrelavent it does not multiply the amount of smoke you inhale the longer you hold it besides tell me how marijuana is more harmful to you than cigarettes marijuana only contains aproximatly 400 chemicals and no carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) and cigarettes contain over 4000 chemicals 40 of which are carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) so even if i was true about how long you hold marijuana smoke you would have to hold it ten times longer than a cigarette then you still would not run the risk of developing cancer like you would be subjected to by smoking cigarettes....... please comment i would love to hear your reasoning

      big_J019

      by big_J019 on April 23rd, 2010

    • well if u do marijuana out of a vaporizer you are not inhaling any smoke, so it ain't harmful.

      vic107

      by vic107 on July 13th, 2010

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