Key Takeaways of Marijuana vs Tobacco Smokers
- Scientists say that emphysema and asthma are more prevalent in tobacco smokers than marijuana smokers.
- Smokers and marijuana users also have lung problems that are far greater than others who don’t indulge.
- Experts agree that how marijuana is smoked may be linked to the increased risk of lung diseases.
Marijuana may be more dangerous than tobacco to the frequency and severity of emphysema and airway inflammation.
A new study on radiology has been published in the Radiological Society of North America journal.
Many medical researchers believe that the disparity may be due to an unscreened entryway of marijuana smoke before reaching the lungs. It is popular among users to smoke longer, presumably to absorb the substance’s psychedelic properties.
Marijuana has become a more and more legal recreational drug, with marijuana being discovered in more U.S. states and countries worldwide.
Marijuana is one of the most commonly used psychoactive substances worldwide, and it is the most common substance to be smoked after tobacco.
Dr. Giselle Revah, a study author, cardiothoracic radiologist, and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada, knows well that cigarettes harm the lungs. There are well-documented and researched findings of cigarette smoking on the lungs. Marijuana we have identified little about.
Excerpts from Tobacco vs. Marijuana Research
Revah and her team compared the results of chest CT scans from 56 marijuana smokers, with 57 nonsmokers and 33 tobacco-only smokers.
Of the marijuana smokers, 75 percent had emphysema, a lung condition causing shortness of breath, compared to 67 percent of tobacco-only smokers. Only 5 percent of the nonsmokers had emphysema.
Paraseptal emphysema, which affects small ducts that break down air sacs in the lungs, was the most common type of emphysema among marijuana smokers compared with the tobacco-only group.
Airway inflammation was more common in marijuana smokers than in nonsmokers or tobacco-only smokers, as was gynecomastia (enlarged male breast tissue due to a hormonal imbalance).
Gynecomastia was discovered in 38% of marijuana smokers, compared with less than 11% of tobacco smokers and 16% of nonsmokers.
The key researchers also found similar results for subgroups of similar age ranges. COPD severity and airway inflammation were also higher in marijuana smokers than tobacco-only smokers.
Coronary artery calcification was reduced between marijuana-only and tobacco-only groups but not among age-matched individuals.
Marijuana Health Effects
Dr. Shahryar Yadegar is a medical director and a pulmonologist at the {rvidence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in California. He told our researchers that the study may help in confirming the trend that shows breathing difficulties in youngsters today,
“Whether tobacco or marijuana, any type of inhalation causes inflammation in airways,” Yadegar states. He also adds, “The additives present in both, including flavoring, preservatives and in some cases pesticides, can vary between cannabis and tobacco-derived products.”
“Patients who suffer from chronic conditions sometimes rely on cannabis products for relief and pain management.” He added, “Sometimes patients have luck trying cannabis-derived products through ingestion or another way. These do not have the same implications received through inhalation and is an individual approach requiring trial and error”.
Tobacco Smokers and Marijuana Inhalers – Difference
Jordyn Mastrodomenico is the clinical director at ChoicePoint, a New Jersey facility specializing in addiction treatment services. She explained to Healthline which question of whether smoking cigarettes or marijuana is bad for the lungs has countless moving parts and is complicated to answer.
Cannabis contains toxins that affect the lungs because this substance is used numerous times. Its favorite smoking technique requires retaining one’s breath as it prolongs the time the lungs are in harm’s way, creating greater damage to the lung’s alveolar sacs.
Mastrodomenico saw that, by taking deeper breaths, users could gain a better chance of various substances gaining access to the bronchial tube.
Because of the high amount of irritants cleared out through exhalation, the residual volume makes it hard for the lungs to work efficiently.
To put it another way, marijuana smoke contains roughly 50% more benzopyrene, twice as many benzanthracenes, and three times more phenols, vinyl chlorides, nitrosamines, and reactive oxygen species than tobacco smoke.
Marijuana has a high phenol count and, as often smoked, leads to tar deposition four times as much as the quantity caused by tobacco smoking.
Results Derived from the Study
In a recent interview, Revah revealed that the tobacco group’s experimental results were surprisingly surprising, considering the considerable smoking history of that group.
Smoking marijuana and tobacco reveal chronic bronchitis; in addition to the fact that some marijuana smokers also smoke tobacco, findings suggest that marijuana has additional effects on the airways beyond tobacco.
In addition, our results remained significant when we went beyond the non-age-matched groups, consisting of younger patients who had smoked marijuana and were thought to have less lifetime exposure to tobacco smoke, Revah explained.
Prior studies must be expanded to cover larger groups of people and to gain more information about how much and how often they smoke. Future research may also examine the results of using different inhalation methods, such as through a bong, a joint, or a pipe.
It would be curious to find out if the inhalation method makes a difference, Revah said.
