Long-term cannabis use brings lung damage risk

Long-term cannabis use brings lung damage risk


For a long time, the effects of cannabis on the lungs were thought to be about the same as tobacco. Now, new research shows cannabis leads to a different kind of lung damage.

So how does smoking cannabis differ from its nicotine-laden counterpart in terms of detrimental effects? Scientists in New Zealand recently made two major discoveries after studying lung function in marijuana and tobacco users. Long-term cannabis use caused over-inflated lungs and more resistance to air flow than tobacco.

Cannabis also impairs the lungs’ ability to extract oxygen from the breath. That was already known about tobacco but the discovery is the first of its kind involving cannabis.

Some doctors have long noted a distinct form of lung damage among major cannabis users — a form of emphysema known informally as “bong lung.” Until now, not much was known about the condition. That’s because studying the use of a stimulant that is still illegal in many parts of the world can be difficult.

To establish their findings, the researchers analyzed cannabis use and lung function in more than 1,000 people born in the early 1970s. Using 11 distinct measures, their lung function was tracked through age 45.

Exactly why cannabis affects the lungs differently than tobacco is still unknown. But the researchers note this much is clear: Long-term cannabis use isn’t the same as heavy tobacco use. And those who use both tobacco and marijuana are likely to suffer lung damage.

As cannabis use grows and becomes increasingly decriminalized around the world, scientists say the findings are a cautionary tale. Whether it’s a cannabis toke or tobacco smoke, your lungs may suffer.

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