It's a well-known fact that smoke is bad for the lungs. From lung cancer\nto upper respiratory disease, smoking presents a variety of risks to the\nwell-being of our lungs. Because of this, many marijuana smokers are\nconcerned about the effect that inhaling cannabis will have on their\nrespiratory health, and indeed, there have been some studies linking\nmarijuana with slightly increased risks of lung\ncancer and\nrespiratory problems. The issue of cannabis and lung health, however, is\nfar from simple. Here's what you need to know about how marijuana\naffects your lungs.
\nCannabis Smoke and Lung Health
\nWhile it may seem logical to assume that cannabis smoke and tobacco\nsmoke are equally harmful to the lungs, this simply isn't true. While\ntobacco smokers often experience drastic lung damage as a result of\ntheir smoking habits,\ndata reviewed by\nresearchers at Emory University showed that cannabis consumers who enjoy\na single joint each day for as long as 20 years don't actually\nexperience lung damage. These results change, however, when scientists\nevaluate heavy marijuana smokers (more than a joint a day for 20 years);\nthese smokers often suffer from respiratory\nconditions such as\ndifficult exhalation and inflammation in the lungs.
\nWhile the Emory University data seems to discount the risk of lung\ndamage from marijuana smoke, there have been several other studies (a\n2006\nstudy\nand a 2014\nstudy,\nrespectively) that have found that marijuana smoke does leave tar\nremnants in the human lung, although the risk for lung cancer remains\nlow despite this.
\n\nIn light of these conflicting results, it's difficult to say\nconclusively that smoking marijuana doesn't harm the lungs and equally\ndifficult to claim that it causes irreparable damage. With that in mind,\nit's wise to turn our attention, instead, to how to consume marijuana in\na way that poses as little risk as possible to the lungs.
\nPopular Cannabis Inhalation Methods and Their Effect on Your Lungs
\nBecause the data on lung damage and cannabis smoke is still quite\ncontradictory, many dedicated cannabis users have begun to focus on\nfinding more lung-friendly ways to inhale cannabis. While there are many\nways to inhale cannabis smoke, some are healthier than others.
\nThe popularity of vaporization has risen in recent years due to the fact\nthat the method is widely considered to be the healthiest and cleanest\nway to use marijuana. While smoking creates ash that is hard on the\nlungs and edibles often come in the form of sugary treats, vaporizers\nproduce a clean, streamlined product that is easy to use on the go and\npresents a low risk of damage to the body. Vaporizers work by heating\nthe herb at temperatures lower than the those needed to induce\ncombustion. Instead of burning, the active ingredients in the cannabis\nplant are vaporized and inhaled. This mitigates the risks associated\nwith inhaling burnt cannabis byproducts.
\nThere are many cannabis users out there who love the tactile and oral\nexperience of a pipe or a joint. Unfortunately, if you're looking to\nmake consuming marijuana easier on your lungs, these probably aren't\nyour best go-to options. Hot, ashy smoke is tough on the lungs, and over\ntime, aficionados of these methods are likely to experience some of the\nadverse effects mentioned earlier. There is, however, a way to make\nsmoking a little safer. By purchasing a screen for your glass pipe, you\ncan filter some of the particulate out of the marijuana smoke and\nproduce a somewhat cleaner product.
\nFor people who still want the experience of smoking without all the\nharmful ash and debris, a water pipe may be the way to go. Water pipes\nwork by filtering smoke through a water reserve before it is inhaled by\nthe user. In addition to helping cool the hot smoke before it reaches\nyour lungs, this method also filters particulate and harsh ash out of\nthe smoke, producing a cleaner product and limiting the material that\ncan later build up as tar in the lungs. Keep in mind that while water\npipes can't filter all the harmful particulate from marijuana smoke,\nthey are quite a bit cleaner than inhaling directly from a pipe or\njoint.
\nDabbing is the process by which cannabis extract is heated and inhaled\nas smoke. Compounds such as BHO (butane hash oil) are commonly used.\nWhile dabbing uses extract rather than the whole herb, the torch used to\nproduce the smoke super heats the extract, making it harsh on the lungs.\nThis can be mitigated by using crushed ice to cool the smoke before it\nreaches the lungs. However, dabbing also presents the risk of inhaling\ntraces of butane, which is a controversial topic. While it's true that\nbutane evaporates quickly, some people report headaches and irritation\nin the membranes of their mouths and noses during dabbing.
\nConclusion
\nWhile the information surrounding smoking marijuana and lung health is\nspotty and often contradictory, there's no question that inhaling hot\nparticulate isn't beneficial for our respiratory tracts. Fortunately,\npeople who love inhaling marijuana can easily make the process safer by\nopting for a vaporizer or a water pipe over a joint or a dabbing setup.\nAdditionally, simple things such as breathing\ndeeply\nand getting daily\nexercise\ncan help keep the lungs clean and strong.
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