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A survey of over 5,000 folks revealed on August 11 in JAMA Community Open discovered that 44 p.c of adults imagine that smoking a joint day by day is safer than smoking a day by day cigarette — a misperception that researchers say may have important public well being penalties.
“We definitely have extra analysis in regards to the long-term well being results of tobacco, as a result of it has been studied for an extended interval, and there are challenges to learning hashish as a result of it’s unlawful on the federal degree,” says lead writer Beth Cohen, MD, a researcher and professor of drugs on the UCSF Faculty of Drugs in San Francisco. And whereas extra analysis on smoking hashish is required to completely perceive the dangers of smoking or vaping hashish, what we already know is troubling, Dr. Cohen says.
“The outcomes are regarding since in actuality, and because the examine factors out, quite a few research present that hashish use and secondhand [marijuana] smoke affect the physique just like tobacco use,” says Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Drugs in California.
“Smoking or vaping hashish and tobacco are each dangerous to our coronary heart and lungs, and to the creating mind for teenagers. And [marijuana] has been linked to psychological well being points, together with schizophrenia,” says Dr. Halpern-Felsher, who was not concerned with this examine.
Individuals More and more View Marijuana as Much less Dangerous Than Tobacco
To search out out what folks take into consideration the protection of smoking hashish or publicity to secondhand marijuana smoke, in contrast with tobacco smoking or publicity, and the way these beliefs could be altering, investigators surveyed 5,035 U.S. adults in 2017, 2020, and once more in 2021.
The typical age was 53 years previous, and 50.7 p.c of survey respondents have been male, 78 p.c have been white, 6 p.c have been Black, and 9 p.c have been Hispanic.
Investigators requested individuals, “How does smoking one marijuana joint a day examine with smoking one cigarette a day?” with response choices of “Smoking one marijuana joint a day is way much less protected, considerably much less protected, as protected as, considerably safer, or a lot safer than smoking one cigarette a day.”
In 2017, 34 p.c of respondents mentioned that smoking marijuana as soon as a day was both a lot or considerably extra harmful than smoking a day by day cigarette. That yr, 37 p.c mentioned hashish was safer, and 29 p.c mentioned they carried equal dangers.
By 2021, simply 26 p.c nonetheless believed that smoking hashish was extra harmful than smoking tobacco, whereas 44 p.c mentioned marijuana was safer than cigarettes — a 21 p.c improve from 4 years earlier.
Comparable developments have been seen when respondents have been requested in regards to the dangers of being uncovered to secondhand hashish versus cigarette smoke.
Is Marijuana Smoke Safer Than Tobacco Smoke?
These findings counsel that the medical and scientific group must do a greater job speaking what is thought in regards to the well being dangers of smoking marijuana to the general public, says Cohen.
Analyses of hashish smoke have proven it incorporates most of the identical toxins and carcinogens as tobacco smoke, Cohen factors out. Animal research have recommended that even one minute of secondhand smoke from hashish could also be related to impeded endothelial operate — and due to this fact may impart the identical cardiovascular dangers as tobacco, based on the authors.
“Combustion of hashish additionally creates particulate matter that may be inhaled deep into the lungs and trigger tissue injury and irritation,” says Cohen.
Smoking marijuana “clearly damages the human lung,” has been linked to continual bronchitis, and will negatively influence the physique’s immune system, based on the American Lung Affiliation.
Cigarette Smoking Acceptance Has Gone Down Whereas Marijuana Acceptance Is on the Rise
This isn’t the primary examine to seek out that many Individuals imagine smoking marijuana is protected: In an American Psychiatric Affiliation (APA) ballot launched in June 2023, 84 p.c of Individuals agreed that cigarettes are unsafe, however solely 38 p.c of respondents thought hashish or marijuana was unsafe.
These attitudes aren’t essentially stunning, says Halpern-Felsher. “Over at the least the previous twenty years, cigarette smoking has turn into much less and fewer socially normative, with extra tobacco management insurance policies, schooling, and information of well being harms resulting in a lot decrease cigarette use and a larger understanding of the numerous well being harms linked to cigarette smoking,” she says.
“In distinction, hashish use amongst adults and even youth has elevated, owing partly to legalization of hashish in lots of states throughout the nation, fewer restrictions on hashish use in contrast with tobacco use, and fewer analysis on and schooling in regards to the harms of hashish,” Halpern-Felsher says.
About 3 in 10 Youthful Adults Commonly Use Marijuana
Marijuana is now authorized for leisure use in adults aged 21 and over in 23 states, together with Washington, DC, and two U.S. territories, per the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures. Medical-use marijuana is authorized in 38 states, 3 territories, and Washington, DC.
Maybe it’s not stunning, then, {that a} Gallup ballot launched on August 10, 2023, discovered that marijuana use in America is at an all-time excessive: 50 p.c of U.S. adults say they’ve experimented with marijuana.
About 1 in 6 (17 p.c) adults at present use marijuana, and present use is the best in folks between 18 to 34 years previous, with almost 3 in 10 (29 p.c) reporting present marijuana use.
Extra Acceptance Could Result in Higher Hashish Use
Why are altering attitudes regarding? Halpren-Felsher factors out that analysis has proven (together with a examine she co-authored in 2018 in JAMA Inner Drugs) that extra optimistic attitudes are related to larger hashish use.
“I believe we have to get the phrase out that hashish can hurt our coronary heart, lungs, brains, dependancy potential, and psychological well being, just like tobacco use. I’m all the time notably involved about younger folks, as our brains proceed to develop till we’re about age 25, and due to this fact younger individuals are considerably extra more likely to turn into addicted,” she says.
This Is Not Your Mom’s Hashish: THC Ranges As much as 10 Instances Larger
“Many individuals additionally don’t notice that hashish THC ranges have elevated, with right this moment’s THC ranges about 10 instances the degrees after I was a child. Additional, we have now extra concentrated types of hashish corresponding to dabbing, which might have about 80 p.c THC, which is a trigger for much more concern,” says Halpren-Felsher.
THC, which stands for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the most important psychoactive element of the marijuana plant and causes the euphoria or “excessive” that many individuals really feel after utilizing the drug.
The time period “marijuana” is mostly used to explain any product that incorporates THC, whereas the time period “hashish” is extra common and might describe something derived from the Hashish sativa plant, based on the Nationwide Heart for Complementary and Integrative Health.
The place to Discover Correct Info In regards to the Health Dangers of Marijuana
Cohen believes that these findings additionally spotlight the necessity for extra analysis on the well being impacts of hashish.
“I’d advise folks to be cautious about getting info from social media and web sites that are not from respected well being and science sources,” says Cohen. She factors to a examine revealed in March 2021 within the Journal of Common Inner Drugs that highlights the inaccuracy of many web claims about hashish use.
“The Nationwide Heart of Complementary and Integrative Health has a very good part masking the info on potential advantages of hashish for medical situations in addition to what we learn about dangers. Speaking to your major healthcare supplier is an effective step, although supplier information might range,” she says.
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