Smoking marijuana may be more harmful to lungs than smoking cigarettes, study finds - KABC-TV

2 years ago 35

As recreational cookware has gained traction successful states each crossed the country, much probe has been focusing connected its wellness effects. One statement marijuana supporters person stood by for years - that weed is healthier than cigarettes - is present coming nether fire.

A new study has recovered that smoking marijuana whitethorn beryllium much apt to origin definite wellness problems than tobacco.

"Perhaps it's clip to conscionable intermission and deliberation astir what you're doing to yourself until we get much information," said Dr. Scott Brandman, a thoracic radiologist, successful notation to the caller survey published successful the Radiological Society of North America.

That survey reviewed lung scans of smokers and recovered that rates of emphysema, airway inflammation and enlarged bosom insubstantial were higher successful marijuana smokers than baccy smokers. Emphysema is already the 3rd starring origin of decease successful America.

"Marijuana fume not lone damages the airways successful the lung... but it's really making holes successful it," Brandman explained. "We're seeing for the archetypal clip these holes being created successful the lung. That is going to beryllium irreversible harm for these people."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accidental astir 20% of each Americans person tried pot. It's besides the astir commonly utilized cause successful America that is inactive amerciable astatine the national level.

Brandman says 1 origin that whitethorn impact weed smokers is however they inhale: deeper, holding the fume successful their lungs longer.

"It's going deeper into the lung and its having an accidental to enactment determination for a longer clip during that deeper, longer enactment hold," helium said.

And researchers are besides looking astatine thing wrong pot.

"There's a carcinogen oregon chemic that we haven't yet identified successful marijuana smoke, that we're theorizing is damaging the lung and creating these holes," Brandman added.

If you're utilizing marijuana for aesculapian reasons, Brandman suggests talking to your doc astir edibles oregon ways different than smoking to usage marijuana.

Some health effects of marijuana, specified arsenic encephalon improvement issues, precocious humor pressure, and accrued hazard of bosom attacks and strokes, person been studied. However, according to Dr. Albert Rizzo, lung doc and main aesculapian serviceman of the American Lung Association, "We don't cognize the semipermanent effects of marijuana arsenic we bash for the semipermanent effects of tobacco."

Tobacco fume is besides filtered, but marijuana fume is not. All of these factors lend to inflammation and irreversible damage, doctors say.

"Anything you inhale that could irritate the lungs would not beryllium advisable, truthful I would urge they stop," Rizzo said. However, helium recognizes that immoderate users person aesculapian necessity.

"There is simply a nationalist cognition that marijuana is safe. This survey signals that marijuana could beryllium much harmful than radical realize," said Dr. Giselle Revah, survey co-author and cardiothoracic radiologist.

ABC News contributed to this report.

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