Is Smoking Weed Bad For Your Lungs?

Lung cancer is often the topic of discussion when speaking about smoke inhalation, but researchers at Emory University have analyzed data from the National Heath and Nutritional Examination survey and found that marijuana users who smoked one joint a day for up to 20 years did not show signs of lung damage. Much of the concern is rooted in the previous research and debate over the detrimental effects of cigarette smoke on the lungs; which we know now to be the leading cause of lung cancer in Canada; attributing to approximately 45,000 Canadians dying from smoke related deaths per year. Marijuana smoking, however, is not linked to an increased cancer risk, but in fact, may slow and help prevent the growth and progression of tumor development.

Many of the comparisons to smoking marijuana are done with cigarette smoking. Cigarettes, however, are mass produced tobacco sticks whose plant leaves are chemically treated for the sake of flavour, nicotine delivery efficiency and increasing the duration of combustion, just to name a few. Cigarettes are estimated to contain more the 7000 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer; resulting in a slew of lung related diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It doesn’t stop there sadly; cigarettes are known to impact the health of the entire body as it has also been linked to coronary heart disease, stroke, and a bevy of other cancers and diseases of virtually every organ in the body.

This doesn’t exonerate marijuana from negative effects on the body, as marijuana smoke has been shown to contain many of the same toxins, irritants, and carcinogens as tobacco smoke. Marijuana users consume the plant material in a number of ways apart from the traditional combustion method of lighting a joint, which may attribute to its seeming less impact on the health of the individual. The use of vaporizers, water bongs, and even cannabis concentrates (dabbing) may decrease the exposure of unnecessary marijuana particles leading to the common negative symptoms associated with heavy smoking, but research has shown that smoking joints; specifically marijuana combustion, exposes users to unfiltered smoke and subsequently leads to the potential buildup of tar in the lungs, leading to such conditions as a chronic cough, phlegm production, wheeze and acute bronchitis. Other research has suggested that marijuana may suppress the immune system, potentially leading to an increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections; however, there is no clear evidence of such actual infections being more common among marijuana smokers at this time.

Whichever way you slice it; smoking marijuana exposes one to some degree of risk. Preliminary studies have shown that there is a definite discrepancy between it and cigarette smoking, with marijuana not having all the same correlations; especially on overall pulmonary function. But institutions such as the American Lung Association regardless still strongly caution the public against smoking marijuana as well as tobacco products. New research is currently underway that may provide more information on this controversial topic.