BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

Breaking

Edit Story

Smoking Marijuana Is More Likely To Cause Emphysema Than Cigarettes, Study Suggests

Following

Topline

Emphysema and airway inflammation are more common among marijuana smokers than cigarette smokers, according to a study of a small group of patients published by the Radiological Society of North America, as marijuana use among young adults continues to grow.

Key Facts

Examination of chest CT scans among 56 marijuana smokers, 57 non-smokers and 33 tobacco-only smokers between 2005 and 2020 indicated higher rates of emphysema in marijuana smokers.

Of the smokers tested, 75% of the marijuana smokers had emphysema, compared with 67% of tobacco-only smokers and 5% of the non-smokers.

In addition to emphysema, airway inflammation was also more common among marijuana smokers.

Giselle Revah, a cardiothoracic radiologist and professor at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Canada, said she decided to test a small sample size because “we know very little about” the effects of marijuana smoking on the body, according to a release.

Revah notes the differences between smoking marijuana and smoking tobacco, like marijuana being smoked without a filter and how it is generally inhaled with a longer breath hold than tobacco, as possible causes for more cases of emphysema.

A survey published by the National Institutes of Health indicates 43% of young adults aged 19 to 30 have used marijuana within the last year.

Big Number

$33 billion. That’s the projected total from sales of legal recreational and medical cannabis in the U.S. in 2022.

What To Watch For

Reps. Jamie Raskin and Nancy Mace will oversee a hearing Tuesday to discuss the possible benefits of decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level.

What To Watch For

Recreational marijuana use is now legal in 21 states following the recent midterm elections—including the additions of Maryland and Missouri—and dozens more have decriminalized low-level cannabis possession offenses. The long-term health effects of smoking the drug have not been as closely studied as smoking tobacco, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note smoking marijuana can harm lung tissues and cause scarring and damage to blood vessels. The CDC estimated at least 48.2 million people used the drug at least once in 2019.

Further Reading

With Two States Voting To Legalize Cannabis, Here’s Where Pot Is Now Legal In America (Forbes)

A Record High: More Young Adults Used Marijuana And Hallucinogens Last Year Than Ever Before, NIH Study Finds (Forbes)

Follow me on TwitterSend me a secure tip