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Bond 07-30-2007 08:02 PM

Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 


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.

Source: BBC News

DarkMaster 07-30-2007 08:48 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
So this is news, huh.

Teuthida 07-30-2007 08:51 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
One is addicting. The other is not. Unless you're a serious pothead you won't be smoking enough to match an average cig user. Plus smoking anything is bad for your lungs regardless. Use a vaporizer and everything is just dandy.

Typhoid 07-30-2007 09:24 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
This just in: Cocaine is addicting.

Jason1 07-30-2007 10:37 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
Yea, so is Heroin.

Dyne 07-30-2007 10:47 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
Cigars are where it's at.

KillerGremlin 07-30-2007 11:41 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
now presenting: the brownie!

Teuthida 07-31-2007 12:06 AM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
*bows down to the mighty brownie*

Perfect Stu 07-31-2007 01:54 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
Something tells me Bond is anti-weed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dyne (Post 211386)
Cigars are where it's at.

Damn straight. Cigar season is on the horizon...who's in?

KillerGremlin 07-31-2007 02:08 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
i'm still working on refining my taste for nice booze, but i will probably smoke a cigar or two this school year

gekko 08-01-2007 12:52 AM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason1 (Post 211385)
Yea, so is Heroin.

Only to some. Heroin addiction is actually caused by a gene that some people have, others don't.

Dylflon 08-01-2007 01:20 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
Man, I know certain people very well that smoke weed every damn day and have for like...since the late 1970's and have no lung problems.

What's with Bond and his anti-weed kick?

gekko 08-01-2007 03:51 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
No lung problems means what? They haven't been diagnosed with lung cancer?

Plenty of cigarette smokers who aren't dead yet, doesn't mean it's healthy for your lungs.

KillerGremlin 08-01-2007 04:23 PM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
psssst: earth to gekko, weed gives you superhuman powers

GameMaster 08-03-2007 01:44 AM

Re: Cannabis harm worse than tobacc
 
Quote:

This report also turned out to be almost entirely bogus. Shockingly, "air flow" was the only category (of several) in which marijuana was determined to be more harmful. Researchers stated that marijuana was 2.5 to 5 times more harmful than tobacco in this category, which reporters simply rounded up to 5 for the headline (behold the lofty journalistic standards of Reuters). Reporters also failed to mention conclusive research proving that marijuana does not cause lung cancer; a notable omission since "bad for your lungs" likely implies cancer for many readers. Finally, media reports failed to explain that marijuana users consume far less per day, and do not continue using for nearly as many years as tobacco smokers.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_...a_does_not_cau


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