Harms of Marijuana Smoke Versus Cigarette Smoke

A new study shows that marijuana smoke does not damage lungs in the same way tobacco smoke does, a fact that “legalize marijuana” groups will likely see as a victory, but that doesn’t mean the drug isn’t dangerous.

While marijuana contains many of the same chemicals as tobacco smoke, researchers at UC San Francisco found that smoking marijuana on an occasional basis does not appear to significantly damage the lungs. The study, reported by the Los Angeles Times and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at 5,115 men and women in four US cities regarding their current and lifetime exposure to tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke and their lung function.

The study showed that lung function declined with increased exposure to tobacco smoke, but the same pattern was not seen with marijuana smoke. There was no evidence of lung function damage with smoking one joint a day for seven years, however, after 10 years, there was some decline in lung function as measured by the speed at which a person can blow out air.

There is a growing interest in understanding the pros and cons of marijuana use as pot usage rates rise and many states consider legalization. The study doesn't show the effects of chronic marijuana use, and addiction experts continue to express concern over the role pot use may play in a variety of types of substance abuse.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse maintains marijuana is dangerous on many other levels, including impairing driving and interfering with learning and brain development when used by adolescents.

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