- New research shows that smoking cannabis doesn’t carry the same risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as smoking tobacco.
- Prior research has produced similar findings, while other studies have shown a risk of COPD from cannabis smoking.
- Cannabis use is associated with numerous health benefits, but there are also drawbacks for chronic users.
- Experts recommend avoiding smoking or vaping and seeking out alternative ways to consume cannabis.
New research shows that the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — heavily associated with cigarette smoking — is not as high when it comes to cannabis use.
The
While the findings are promising — particularly for those who use cannabis for its numerous benefits — experts caution that there are some caveats to the research.
Among other things, they note that any smoke is damaging to the lungs, whether it comes from cannabis or tobacco.
COPD is
While there are a number of environmental risk factors that can contribute to COPD, the most common cause is tobacco smoking.
Experts say that decades of data shows a strong correlation between tobacco use and COPD, but the connection between cannabis smoking and COPD hasn’t been studied as much.
“There is a significant amount of data to support the negative impact of cigarette smoking on lung function, but the evidence so far for an association between use of cannabis and decrease in lung function is inconsistent,” explained Dr. Thomas Kilkenny, a doctor of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at Staten Island University Hospital, Northwell Health, in New York who was not involved in the study.
Kilkenny told Medical News Today that…
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