I suppose it's "hate on stoners" season again. This time, the study comes out of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand. The study found that one marijuana joint can cause the lung damage of up to five cigarettes. That is, five filtered cigarettes - at most.
Well, that's certainly good news for stoners, isn't it? Especially considering the study conceded that a lot of the damage is due to how joints are different than cigarettes. The study said that because joints burn at a higher temperature marijuana users tend to hold the smoke in longer (note to my fellow stoners: holding in the smoke does nothing to enhance the high; it just kills more braincells), not to mention that joints are unfiltered and made of paper.
Personally, when I smoke I use either a bong or a bowl, both of which are made of glass. The bowl doesn't do much to eliminate the temperature issue, but the bong, which filters the smoke through water, works wonders. I'd really like to see a study comparing bong use to cigarette smoke.
However, the study did find that users who did not smoke tobacco did not suffer from emphysema. Adding yet another point to marijuana over tobacco (the other being that marijuana is not linked to lung cancer, despite the carcinogen content).
Of course, all these points showing that marijuana use is perhaps safer than tobacco use is just swept under the rug in place of "Cannabis harm worse than tobacco". It's no wonder, since the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand is partially funded by GlaxoSmithKline, the producers of Zyban, an anti-depressant marketed to help tobacco smokers to quit.
And what market would GSK have if all their tobacco users smoked pot instead?
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Smoking weed also expands your lungs. Because it burns at that higher temperture than cigarettes, it also clears out some of the nasty things from popultion and cigarette smoking that builds up in your lungs as well, thats why you caugh.
Sorry, just adding some info. ^_^
Another thing I thought about regarding this was that there are many more casual weed smokers than casual cig smokers. Essentially, if you pick a random pot head and a random cig smoker, I bet that chances are the pot head smokes less weed than the cig smoker smokes cigs (even if you use a 5:1 comparison in favor if cigs).
Also, in addition to your comment about glass pieces, think about vaporizers. They are significantly safer than even most bongs or pipes, and especially compared to joints. But there aren't as many vaporizers in use, I guess.
Finally, I referenced your post in an article on my site, I hope that's fine with you. (http://www.lifeyak.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=32)
Vapes are nice. I think I prefer the Voodoo to the Volcano (despite most opinion to the contrary); the temperature setting gives a nice sense of control.
--Mike
Check out the ProgU News Feed:
http://www.progressiveu.org/news
Now I've got another reason to turn on some Velvet Acid Christ and not stop.
Nicholas Aden
(the other being that marijuana is not linked to lung cancer, despite the carcinogen content)
I think you left out one vital word in that sentence; YET.....
Remember that in the early part of the 20th century cigarettes were being touted as a cure for many ailments. Not only did it turn out that it wasn't as beneficial to smoke as people (mostly marketers) claimed, it also turned out to have a lot of unforeseen issues such as lung cancer etc.
I think that you will find that in the next 40-50 years, people who do not smoke cigarettes but do smoke pot (and they are becoming a lot more numerous) will begin to suffer from other unforeseen issues, perhaps even lung cancer (and I am pretty sure the link WILL be made)
Essentially burning ANYTHING and inhaling it, no matter how filtered or unprocessed it is, will cause harmful side effects.
BTW I am a tobacco smoker and in my late teens early 20's smoked quite a lot of my own home grown plants as well as using various other chemicals :) I neither condone nor condemn my daughters when they smoke or take any substance, and I extend that courtesy on to everyone else as well. So I am not a nay sayer, just a realist!
:) Cathii
-------------------------------------------------------
Those who know everything have learned little from life.
What about smoking hookah(using sea sha)? Which is better(health wise) out of the 3? Just wondering...
Hookah is actually one of the worst things that you could put in your lungs. Doesn't stop me from partaking from time to time, but coating your lungs with tar and sugar doesn't do a lot of good.
Of course, you have to balance out the damage done to the amount done. The average smoker is around a pack a day. Pot smokers will rarely smoke more than two joints on an average day. Hookah is usually a very occasional thing.
--Mike
Check out the ProgU News Feed:
http://www.progressiveu.org/news
I thought hookah would be healthier since the smoke is so much thinner. Oh well...
Hi Toratiger :)
Sometimes this site can get a little bogged down with so many users posting content and making comments all at once; plus the reaction time is a little slower right now as we're making updates to the site.
But rest assured, when you hit the "Submit" button, you only need to hit it once and your comment will go through :)
I usually get up and go take a potty-break or go grab a soda or something while I'm waiting for it to post because I hate sitting here waiting :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
Nominate your Favorite Blog to become a Featured Blogger!
I didnt mean to go click happy on the submit button... I just thought my computer was being dumb(it does that alot)... I'll try to hold back on hitting the button more than once...
:) No worries, that's usually the case when it comes to duplicate blogs or duplicate comments...
I've done it, too, LOL.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
Nominate your Favorite Blog to become a Featured Blogger!
Don't worry. I do the same thing sometimes, and I'm the senior editor!
--Mike
Check out the ProgU News Feed:
http://www.progressiveu.org/news
This post reminds me for some strange reason I can't quite fathom of the Spiders on Drugs video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc
"It is never too late to give up your prejudices." Henry David Thoreau
"In case of dissension, never dare to judge till you've heard the other side." Euripides
I LOVE that video!
Maybe that was too enthusiastic? I don't know, I'm just a dork.
dorks are the coolest people.~}chatiks si chatiks{~