I have no idea if this study is accurate...this is not an issue to me. I'm just curious if our local pot-supporters who say that smoking pot is less harmful than smoking cigarettes have anything to say about this. http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/11/11/uk.cannabis/index.html Cannabis smoke health warning Monday, November 11, 2002 Posted: 7:32 AM EST (1232 GMT) LONDON, England -- Health risks from smoking cannabis have risen dramatically since the 1960s because of changes to the way the drug is produced, a health charity says. The British Lung Foundation warned smoking three cannabis joints a day can cause the same lung damage as 20 cigarettes. Its report, A Smoking Gun, says smoking pure cannabis is as harmful as tobacco and when the two are mixed the effects are dramatically worsened. The BLF report, published on Monday, said the health risks were worse now than in the 1960s because there is more THC (tetrahydrocanabinol), the ingredient which accounts for the psychoactive properties of cannabis, in the substance consumed today. BLF Chairman Dr. Mark Britton told the UK's Press Association: "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. "It is vital that people are fully aware of the dangers so they can make an educated decision and know the damage they may be causing." The study looked at existing scientific and medical research on cannabis smoking and respiratory health. Evidence shows that tar from cannabis cigarettes contains 50 percent more cancer producing agents, or carcinogens, than tobacco, it says. Dame Helena Shovelton, BLF chief executive, told the BBC's Today programme: "Puff and inhalation volume with cannabis is up to four times higher than with tobacco. In other words you inhale deeper and hold your breath with the smoke for longer before exhaling. "This results in more poisonous carbon monoxide and tar entering into the lungs." She added that the charity wanted to ensure people were aware of the dangers -- but was not advising on whether or not to smoke cannabis
I think this is a little misleading because it's not really that "smoking pot is dangerous." But, rather, "smoking pot is dangerous." Hell, smoking anything (pot, cigarettes, cigars, etc...) is dangerous. This is really more about the method of consumption as opposed to what is being consumed.
from the article: The BLF report, published on Monday, said the health risks were worse now than in the 1960s because there is more THC (tetrahydrocanabinol), the ingredient which accounts for the psychoactive properties of cannabis, in the substance consumed today.
I always heard smoking out of a water pipe (bong) was much better for you since it cooled the smoke and removed many of the carcinginics (sp?) from the smoke. That may be pot smokers urban legend I just don't know. Not that it matters to me since I no longer smoke, but...
Well, if cigaretes are legal, there is no reason why marjuana shouldn't be. Solution, make both illegal
Who cares? How dare a government make it illegal to use a God-given plant while it continues to mass produce and test more and more nuclear weapons with your money.
I am by no means an expert on this subject, but I have done a little research on the comparison of tobacco vs. cannabis and I find that this article offers quite a bit of propaganda. Obviously, as Mrs. JB stated, inhaling any type of smoke is unhealthy - hell, breathing the air in Houston on some days is almost as bad as smoking cigarettes. However, I believe that it has been proven (though I don't have any references handy) that cigarettes contain 20 - 40 known man-made carcinogens. mar1juana is not processed for flavor and therefore doesn't have near the amount of chemicals that a tobacco cigarette does. Does cannabis smoke contain carcinogens? Of course, but so does a variety of things, including car emissions, air we breathe, and vapors coming off of a living room fire. And while it is true that mar1juana users rarely filter the smoke (as with cigarettes) and usually tend to hold it in their lungs longer, until there is verified fact on the amount of carcinogens located in cannabis - it is irresponsible to compare tobacco to cannabis. To say that the health dangers associated with mar1juana are larger because of the increasing potency of the drug, makes me believe that the article is more propaganda than fact. Notice that no mention of the exact increase of the potency is stated. In fact, regular, low grade "schwag" has not increased in potency from generation to generation, and the higer grade sinsemilla cannabis is only higher in potency by a few percentage points. Also, the article makes no mention of the addictive property of cigarettes as opposed to mar1juana - smoking 20 cigarettes is much more likely for a nicotine addict than smoking 3 mar1juana joints is for a cannabis user. Well anyway, I just thought I would chime in on this discussion with what I have read in various places. Just a warning: information is more rampant today than ever - so be careful in accepting anything presented as fact. <i>-Turbo</i>
Is there a pot smoker on the planet who smokes as much pot in a day as the average cigarrette smoker does tobacco? I wouldn't be surprised at all if it's carcinogenic. But if this is a cause for banning... why don't we ban potato chips while we're at it?
Exactly! Besides, as NYKRule said, I don't think anyone believes that pot is GOOD for you. Alcohol and cigarettes are both TERRIBLE for you, but that doesn't stop people from smoking and drinking. High cholesterol diets and sugar are terrible for your body, but I don't seem McDonald's or Baskin Robbins going out of business anytime soon. I can understand the arguments against legalizing heroin or X or drugs of that nature although, they still give people morphene in some situations and it is easily as addictive as heroin, but at least that is in a clinical, semi-controlled setting. However, I don't get the pot thing particularly when cigarettes and alcohol are legal.
again...i don't know...i'm not saying this study is right. i'm not saying it's even necessarily relevant to the discussion of whether or not it should be legal or illegal.
Actually, pot CAN be GOOD for you. If you have glaucoma, for instance, pot can reduce the problem. There are plenty of medical instances where it can be beneficial. Ms JB hit the nail on the head. It is the smoking that is bad for you. It is especially bad for you when you mix tobacco and pot like these silly European and Canadians do (or so I've heard ). The part of the article that MadMax points out still has to do with the smoking and not with the THC. There is no proof that THC is bad for your health, hence, the strength of the pot is irrelevant to consumption. Besides the only reason smoking is the predominate way to consume pot is because its too damn expensive to bake with on a continual basis. If it was legal, and hence cheap, it could be consumed with NONE of the ill effects of smoking it.
In my younger years I would put some in melted butter then make some blueberry muffins with the butter. Ahhh Magic Muffins. I always prefered eating it to smoking it but it is just so much easier to smoke than go through the process of cooking with it. I'd vote for legalization, but I don't think it will happen in the next 50 years.
