Marijuana vs. Tobacco: A Comparative Look at Lung Health

Regular marijuana smokers are less prone to lung diseases than tobacco smokers, possibly due to the protective properties of cannabinoids against conditions like emphysema. This conclusion comes from research conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Speaking at the third conference of the International Cannabis Research Society in September 1994, Dr. Donald Tashkin, a pulmonologist and professor of medicine at UCLA, stated that habitual marijuana smoking does not lead to the same high rates of lung disease as tobacco smoking.

“In my opinion, smoking marijuana definitely does not lead to the development of emphysema,” said Dr. Tashkin, though he clarified that the studies did not cover the full spectrum of lung diseases, including cancer. “Most likely, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) in marijuana has a certain effect on inflammatory cells, which could influence the development of lung diseases.”

His study, aimed at determining the effects of frequent marijuana use, involved 9 tobacco smokers, 10 marijuana users, 10 non-smokers, and 4 people who smoked both tobacco and marijuana. He provided both quantitative and qualitative explanations for the results. Marijuana users smoked 3–4 times daily for an average of 15 years, while tobacco smokers consumed about 25 cigarettes a day for 20 years, indicating a significant difference in consumption levels.

“We have a sevenfold difference in consumption between tobacco smokers and marijuana smokers,” said Dr. Tashkin. “This gave us a quantitative difference that could affect the rate of lung diseases.”

Furthermore, the phagocytes of marijuana smokers have different properties compared to those of tobacco smokers.

“Previously, we found that macrophages from the alveoli of marijuana smokers are not activated properly,” said Dr. Tashkin. “They do not release toxic oxygen, unlike the macrophages of tobacco smokers. The release of superoxide is lower in marijuana smokers.”

Dr. Tashkin measured the clearance rate of diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA) in the lungs, considering it a more accurate indicator of lung disease and contamination. A higher DTPA clearance rate indicates greater damage to the alveolar membrane. He noted that high DTPA clearance is typical in lung diseases among tobacco smokers. Chronic effects in marijuana users were compared to those in tobacco smokers: DTPA clearance was measured 12 hours after the last cigarette or joint. For more precise results, Dr. Tashkin repeated the test a week later, giving participants one cigarette and one joint, then measuring DTPA clearance every 15 minutes.

“We found that DTPA clearance was unusually fast in tobacco smokers,” said Dr. Tashkin. “It was about twice as fast as in non-smokers. Marijuana smokers had much lower rates. Those who smoked both showed only slight changes.”

While tobacco smoke led to the activation of macrophages and the release of certain toxic substances, marijuana smoke did not trigger this effect, according to Dr. Tashkin. He explained that this difference could be due to the different ways tobacco and cannabinoids regulate cytokines.

“Based on our research, we can hypothesize that under the influence of cannabinoids, macrophages release cytokines that trigger a beta-reaction, which suppresses almost all types of inflammatory responses,” he said. “This is our hypothesis, which requires further study.”

Radioactive Elements in Tobacco and Their Health Risks

According to U.S. Surgeon General C. Everette Koop (1990), radioactive elements—not tar—are responsible for 90% of lung cancer cases caused by smoking. Tobacco grown in the U.S. is fertilized with phosphates rich in radium-226, and many soils naturally contain this element. Radium-226 produces two byproducts: lead-210 and polonium-210. These radioactive elements become airborne and stick to the tiny hairs on tobacco leaves. Studies have shown that deposits of lead-210 and polonium-210 remain in the body after inhaling tobacco smoke. Research from the 1970s indicates that tobacco smokers have three times higher levels of these elements in their lungs than non-smokers. Smokers also have higher concentrations of lead-210 and polonium-210 in their bones, though studies linking these deposits to bone cancer have not yet been conducted. The only element from cigarette smoke tested on animals was polonium-210, which led to the formation of cancerous tumors.

When a person inhales tobacco smoke, the lungs respond by forming irritated cells in the bronchi. All smoke causes this reaction. These irritated cells can become precancerous, which is a natural defense mechanism and usually disappears after a successful immune response. However, tars in tobacco smoke can interfere with this process by attaching to precancerous cells and causing further irritation. Additionally, tobacco smoke constricts the bronchi for extended periods, suppressing the lungs’ natural cleaning abilities.

Polonium-210 and lead-210 from tobacco smoke accumulate in affected cells at specific sites in the bronchi called bifurcations. With prolonged smoking, radioactive deposits turn into “hot spots” and remain in these bifurcations for years. Polonium-210 emits alpha radiation, which causes cancer. Since polonium-210 has a half-life of 21.5 years (due to the presence of lead-210), a smoker may remain at risk for years after quitting. Studies of polonium-210 levels in the lungs of people who died from cancer found that the number of “hot spots” was about the same in both current and former smokers, even in cases where the person died five years after quitting.

More than half of the radioactive components in cigarette smoke are released into the air during smoking, where they can be inhaled by others. It has also been proven that polonium-210 and lead-210 can accumulate in the lungs of both smokers and non-smokers through secondhand smoke. Recent studies of uranium miners, who are at high risk for lung cancer due to radon exposure, have led to the hypothesis that tobacco smoke acts as a “magnet” for radioactive elements, allowing them to settle not only in the lungs but also on surfaces in enclosed spaces. In other words, smoking indoors increases the risk of lung cancer.

It is estimated that the total radioactive deposits in the lungs of a heavy smoker aged 60, who smokes a pack a day indoors, amount to 38–97 rad (these are approximate calculations). Those who smoke two packs a day may accumulate up to 143 rad. Non-smokers receive no more than 17 rad over a lifetime. Receiving 1 rad per year increases the risk of lung cancer by 1% (based on statistics from cancer patients and all smokers).

Nicotine: Addiction and Toxicity

The main ingredient in tobacco, nicotine, is well known for causing physical dependence. Even today, many doctors and scientists cannot agree on whether heroin or nicotine is more addictive. Physical dependence means that a chemical becomes a necessary part of the body’s metabolism. In other words, a substance is physically addictive if regular use leads to increased tolerance and negative effects when use stops. Withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, stress, depression, tremors, or nausea.

In addition to being addictive, nicotine is also toxic (the lethal dose for an adult is about 50 mg; for THC, it is 95 g, making nicotine about 2,000 times more toxic than THC). Nicotine negatively affects the heart and circulatory system, causing blood vessels to constrict, which can lead to blockages or even heart attacks. Nicotine is so toxic that nicotine patches should not be underestimated as a method for quitting smoking or as a potential health risk.

Carcinogens in Marijuana and Its Effects on the Lungs

Studies conducted in Berkeley in the late 1970s showed that marijuana contains 1.5 times more carcinogens than tobacco. This research was based on the resin content in cannabis leaves and did not account for radioactive elements (which cannabis does not contain). Based on current knowledge, the following should be considered:

• Marijuana acts as an expectorant and has bronchodilating properties. This is why many asthma sufferers use it to relieve attacks. Some scientists and doctors believe it may be more effective than many pharmaceutical drugs in this area.
• Research shows that marijuana’s ability to clear the lungs of soot, deposits, and tobacco smoke may reduce the risk of emphysema, bronchitis, and possibly lung cancer in tobacco smokers.
• Cannabis is fundamentally different from tobacco in that it does not contain nicotine and does not cause addiction. THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, was once thought to cause genetic mutations and brain damage, but these findings were later disproven. Even the DEA acknowledges that marijuana is the safest therapeutic agent in human history. As DEA Judge Francis Young stated: “Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.”

Glossary

• Phagocytes: Human cells capable of phagocytosis, a key immune response, especially during inflammation.
• Macrophages: Cells that actively engulf and digest bacteria, cell debris, and other foreign or toxic particles.
• Superoxide: A toxic free radical produced by the immune system to destroy foreign particles.
• Cytokines: Modulators of the immune response. The use of cytokines in medicine holds great promise for treating many diseases related to immune dysfunction.

References

• E.A. Martel, “Alpha Radiation Dose at Bronchial Bifurcations From Indoor Exposure to Radon Progeny,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Vol. 80, pp. 1285–1289, March 1983.
• Naomi H. Harley, Beverly S. Cohen, and T.C. Tso, “Polonium 210: A Questionable Risk Factor in Smoking Related Carcinogenesis.”
• “Radioactivity: the New-Found Danger in Cigarettes,” Reader’s Digest, March 1986.
• “Would You Still Rather Fight Than Switch?,” Whole Life Times, Mid-April/May 1985.
• “The Emperor Wears No Clothes,” Jack Herer, HEMP/Queen of Clubs Publishing, 1992.