cannabisnews.com: Cannabis Smoking 'More Harmful' Than Tobacco Cannabis Smoking 'More Harmful' Than Tobacco Posted by CN Staff on November 11, 2002 at 08:14:09 PT By Emma Young Source: New Scientist Smoking pure marijuana is at least as harmful to lungs as smoking tobacco, a report from the British Lung Foundation concludes. And in some key ways, it may be more dangerous.For example, the BLF's review of previous research highlights that just three marijuana joints a day causes the same damage to the lung's airways as 20 cigarettes, mainly because of the way joints are smoked. Individually, cannabis and tobacco produce the same constituents and quantities of chemicals known to be toxic to respiratory tissue, other than nicotine, the report says. But when cannabis and tobacco are smoked together, the health effects are worse."These statistics will come as a surprise to many people, especially those who choose to smoke cannabis rather than tobacco in the belief it is safer for them," says Mark Britton, chairman of the BLF. A UK survey conducted earlier in 2002 found that 79 per cent of children believed cannabis to be 'safe'. Deep breath A key finding highlighted by the review of 90 published papers is that the amount of smoke taken into the lungs is two thirds larger if cannabis is being smoked. The smoke is also taken one third deeper into the lungs - and that smoke is held an average of four times longer before being exhaled."You inhale deeper and hold your breath with the smoke for longer before exhaling. This results in more poisonous carbon dioxide and tar entering into the lungs," says Helena Shovelton, BLF's chief executive. Other points in the report include: • Tar from cannabis cigarettes contains up to 50 per cent higher concentrations of carcinogens benzathracenes and benzpyrenes than tobacco smoke• THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, decreases the function of immune system cells that help protect the lungs from infection • The average cannabis cigarette smoked in the 1960s contained about 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient. Today, it may contain 150 mg. "This means that the modern cannabis smoker may be exposed to greater doses of THC than in the 1960s or 1970s," says the report. "This in turn means that studies investigating the long-term effects of smoking cannabis have to be interpreted cautiously." Mouth spray Cannabis is the most widely consumed illegal drug in the UK. In 2000, almost 45 per cent of 16 to 29 year olds in the UK said they had used cannabis at some point."We are not making any policy recommendations. The aim of this report is to try to inform the public that if you do choose to smoke cannabis, be aware of the health risks," says a BLF spokeswoman. Cannabis-based medicines could be prescribed for medical use in the UK as early as 2003, following the recent success of final-stage trials. But medicinal cannabis is supplied through a mouth spray or in tablet form. "We have always been keen to find additional ways of administering cannabis as a medicine," says Nina Booth-Clibborn of the UK's Medicinal Cannabis Research Foundation. "It did seem that smoking would not be the best way."Lyndon Pugh, editor of pro-cannabis magazine CC Newz, is not impressed by the report: "These allegations have been made before countless times. Lot of things are dangerous, like driving." Source: New Scientist (UK)Author: Emma Young Published: November 11, 2002 Copyright: New Scientist, RBI Limited 2002Contact: letters newscientist.comWebsite: http://www.newscientist.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:CC Newzhttp://www.ccnewz.com/UK Medicinal Cannabis Projecthttp://www.medicinal-cannabis.org/High Hopes for Cannabis on Prescription http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14701.shtmlAlcohol Impairs Driving More than Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12299.shtmlMarijuana Doesn't Cause Lung Cancer http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10025.shtmlMarijuana Ingredient May Fight Brain Cancer http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4890.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by VitaminT on November 11, 2002 at 15:40:58 PT Also SCarnage5000 Pick up the following thread and read the comment by Krutchhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread14715.shtml#18Then follow his link to an article detailing the non link between Cannabis and CancerIf you please of course!Cheers [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by VitaminT on November 11, 2002 at 15:26:15 PT SCarnage5000 All of this can be a little scary for pot smokers who don't know the science - but history provides ample evidence to refute any claims of a high risk of cancer - I mean where are all the body bags? The headline for this story is particularly outrageous for a reputable scientific publication - if epidemiological evidence were considered such a headline would be at best irresponsible.With 60 - 80 million pot smokers one would logically expect to find hard numbers to confirm the link between Cancer and Cannabis => something on the order of: last year there were XX number of deaths from Cancer caused by Cannabis. Much the same as they do for Tobacco i.e. 400,000 Tobacco related deaths.In any case smoking is not good for your lungs and since the government would rather put us in jail than simply inform us of the actual risks and how to minimize them - it's up to each of us to inform ourselves and each other. (Why do we pay taxes?)Also remember: you can eat it and vaporize it to avoid the carcinogens.The following was posted to the DPFT list and refers to comments made by one of the authors of "Marijuana Myths Marijuana Facts" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>According to what Dr John Morgan has told us in a couple of personal appearances here in FLorida, those who 'hold cannabis smoke in their lungs...up to 4 times longer..' need to be re-educated as to how pot smoke is absorbed into the bloodstream.In fact, according to Morgan, simply inhaling the smoke into your lungs and then exhaling, ala a tobacco cigarette, does the job just fine for getting the desired effects. He says there is no added advantage to holding it longer, and in fact it increases your exposure to whatever level of risk that is present from inhaling burning marijuana smoke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by SCarnage5000 on November 11, 2002 at 13:30:02 PT: Marijuana Is there a healthier type of cannabis you can smoke: Cannabis Oils Hash Skunk Weed Because all that health hazard stuff as got me worried, I aint experienced any problems but now I have read that I am afraid I will. Thanks [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by VitaminT on November 11, 2002 at 09:36:51 PT interpreted cautiously • The average cannabis cigarette smoked in the 1960s contained about 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient. Today, it may contain 150 mg. "This means that the modern cannabis smoker may be exposed to greater doses of THC than in the 1960s or 1970s," says the report. "This in turn means that studies investigating the long-term effects of smoking cannabis have to be interpreted cautiously." OK, for the sake of discussion - let's accept this well-worn bit of fear mongering about the potentcy chimeraPerhaps what they mean here is that pot smokers today need only smoke 1/15 as much to acheive the same results. Probably not though.Still no mention of vaporization? How many carcinogens are there in Cannabis vapor? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by aocp on November 11, 2002 at 08:54:39 PT lemme get this straight... ...for the 80 millionth time, already...Smoking pure marijuana is at least as harmful to lungs as smoking tobacco, a report from the British Lung Foundation concludes. And in some key ways, it may be more dangerous.Really. So, you must have stacks of bodies somewhere, right? The US kills 400k+ by way of tobacco every year and they're certainly not hard to locate. Where are the cannabis deaths?As an aside, if this is true, shouldn't these people be pushing for a ban on tobacco? That's how we treat cannabis, so what, AGAIN, is up with the duplicity? Why is this allowed to persist like this? Just ban smokes and watch black market economics 101 take over. Fence-sitters will not be able to maintain their stronghold of obliviousness. The carnage will speak for itself. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment