Tobacco vs. Marijuana
Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals. There are 33 cancer-causing chemicals contained in marijuana. Marijuana smoke also deposits tar into the lungs. In fact, when equal amounts of marijuana and tobacco are smoked, marijuana deposits four times as much tar into the lungs. This is because marijuana joints are un-filtered and often more deeply inhaled than cigarettes.
Marijuana smoke is also an irritant to the lungs, and frequent marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems experienced by people who smoke tobacco. These include coughing and phlegm production on most days, wheezing, bronchitis, and greater risk of lung infection.
http://www.lung.org/associations/states/colorado/tobacco/marijuana.html
I think we can do better than bald conjecture. And I say that nicely since I like you.
There are no known carcinogens in cannabis. So, that alone says this is bullshit. In fact it is not an irritant and is healthy for lungs. I think we should delve deeper, and at least stick to referenced peer review.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/820432_2
Although the effects of marijuana smoking (both short-term and long-term) on lung function have been assessed by many studies for over 40 years, the
bronchodilator properties of cannabis were likely known and were used for treating asthma in the late 1800s.[2,10] In fact, as noted, cannabis was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from the mid-19th century until 1941, predating scientific studies by over a century.[2,10] It is interesting that Tashkin
et al.[11] and Vachon
et al.[12] were the first to demonstrate
bronchodilator properties of cannabis in young healthy individuals and published study results in the same medical journal in the same year. Tashkin
et al.[13,14] subsequently reported a similar bronchodilator effect of cannabis in patients with mild asthma as well as in patients with methacholine and exercise-induced bronchospasm. A systematic meta-analysis by Tetrault
et al.[15] assessing
acute effects of marijuana smoking found consistent association between short-term marijuana administration and bronchodilation [such as increases of 0.15–0.25 l in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak flows, and airway conductance].
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It goes on to refute these silly tobacco comparisons.
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Aldington
et al.[17] published a comparative study of the effects of marijuana and tobacco in 2007. The authors performed high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest and pulmonary function testing on 339 individuals (75 marijuana-only smokers, 91 smokers of both marijuana and tobacco, 92 tobacco-only smokers, and 81 nonsmokers) in New Zealand. The study results
showed no significant change/decline in FEV1 or FEV1/FVC ratio in marijuana smokers. There was also
no evidence of emphysema on HRCT, although marijuana use was associated with an increased percentage of low-density lung tissue both on the apical slice [odds ratio (OR) 3.3] and the mean of the three slices (OR 2.4), suggestive of
hyperinflation. (taking big hits - Doer)
A
similar lack of association between marijuana smoking and airflow obstruction has also been reported in the Dunedin birth cohort study.[19] Lung function was assessed in participants of the longitudinal Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study in New Zealand. Spirometry was performed periodically at each assessment from age 9 until age 32. After adjusting for tobacco exposure,
cannabis was not associated with lower FEV1 values or lower FEV1/FVC ratios, but was associated with significantly higher FVC, higher airways resistance (Raw) and lower specific airway conductance (sGaw) (Table 1)
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This entire article is worth the read. Listen to your brother. I'm not fighting with you here. I'm suggesting you are referencing the backlash forces, not the truth of the matter.
