LOS ANGELES — Smoking marijuana on an occasional basis does not appear to significantly damage the lungs, according to a new study.
The paper, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adds to some previous research that has also failed to find a link between low or moderate exposure to marijuana smoke and lung damage. The issue has gained some importance in recent years, however, as marijuana usage rates rise and as states considered legalization of marijuana for medical or even recreational purposes.
Even a low level of cigarette smoke has been linked to a higher risk of respiratory problems, pulmonary disease and lung cancer — as has exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. Thus, the idea that marijuana smoke may also be harmful is reasonable. Marijuana contains many of the same chemicals as tobacco smoke.
Researchers led by Mark Pletcher at the University of California, San Francisco, studied 5,115 men and women in four U.S. cities regarding their current and lifetime exposure to tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke and their lung function. The exposure to marijuana smoke was expressed by joint years, with smoking 365 joints or filled pipe bowls being equal to one “joint year.”
The study showed that lung function declined with increased exposure to tobacco smoke. However, that same pattern was not seen with marijuana smoke. There was no evidence of lung function damage with seven joint years (or smoking one joint a day for seven years.) After 10 years, there was some decline in lung function as measured by the speed at which a person can blow out air.
The study should reassure people that medical uses of marijuana, such as for pain control, will not be offset by lung damage, the authors pointed out. But, they said, the study did not evaluate the effects of heavy marijuana smoking on the lungs.
“Our findings suggest that occasional use of marijuana for (medical) purposes may not be associated with adverse consequences on pulmonary function,” Pletcher said in a news release. “On the other hand, our findings do suggest an accelerated decline in pulmonary function with heavier use — either very frequent use or frequent use over many years — and a resulting need for caution and moderation when marijuana use is considered.”
Marijuana doesn’t cause teens to get in car accidents; It’s alot healthier than tobacco. And not to mention it smells a hell of alot better. This world is twisted by whats legal, and whats not.
aside from that first line your doin ok….but lets not encourage teens to smoke pot because they wont get in accidents. I know of a young lady who regrets having smoked before she drove. Pot can make you drowsy and lower your reaction speed. No one should smoke pot and drive any more than they should drink and drive, but yeah its time to legalize.
A nice turkey diner with some pumpkin pie can make you drowsy enough so you should probably not be driving. Pot should be as legal as a turkey diner.
Lets all just get high……….who cares about setting a good example……… You folks need to put your pipes down and get back to work.
You go for it if that is what you want to do. Your business is none of mine.
Let’s all get drunk. Let’s all fill our lungs with smoke from legal cancer sticks called cigarettes. Let’s all binge on food products filled with harmful chemicals, additives, and preservatives.
Most people that I know who smoke (medicinally or recreationally), and those who support either medicinal use or legalization ALL HAVE JOBS. Your remarks do not come from a place of being educated or informed, it comes from a place of lack of knowledge and inaccurate stereotyping.
Because of my political activity with the medicinal aspect (my husband used it when he was dying from cancer), I have met many people who smoke cannabis. I have yet to meet anyone (other than those gravely ill from cancer or physical injury and those retired) who smokes who is not gainfully employed.
I know doctors, lawyers, physical therapists, nurses, teachers, professors, executives, writers, film makers, artists, musicians, postal workers, carpenters, plumbers, farmers, mechanics, lobstermen, store clerks, business owners, politicians…the list is endless.
Louis Armstrong smoked every day and he was America’s ambassador of happiness! He spread a lot of joy around. It didn’t seem to hurt him.
Actually the amount of missed work time is more than double for alcohol than it is for marijuana. The DHHS’s office of Substance Abuse has a budget to for treatment of addicts. 50% of that budget was used for alcohol abuse and only 9% for marijuana abuse. So leave the poor potheads alone.
Reason number 45,000 to legalize this substance.
Until someone can prove to me that marijuana is even worse than alcohol I will always be for the legalization…and this is coming from someone who doesn’t smoke it at all.
Acapulco gold filters take 2, no stems no seeds that you do not need, acapulco gold is bad a** weed. Wow, that photo made my eyes turn red…
It helps my chronic pain and I have NO side effects like I did when I was taking Percocet, hydrocodone, oxycodone etc. Those pills messed up my liver ! Marijuana should be legalized !
Interesting. LOL at “joint years”, though I question that a joint equals a bowl. Most joints I’ve seen could pack at least 3 bowls. It is widely accepted that marijuana smoke dissipates faster than cigarette smoke. Smoke a carton of cigarettes in a room and it smells for a month. Smoke 20 bong hits and it smells for an hour or two.
Legalize it,dont criticize it..
The Emporer wears no clothes. The war on this plant is such a fraud.
I had lot rather deal with a person high on pot then one drunk on booze The one high on pot is usually freindly and eaisly managed while the drunk is loud and in a unmanagable mood. This is from a booking officers point of view.
So, it turns out that Reefer Madness was not a documentary! lol.