Marijuana more popular to students than cigarettes, both can risk health

Although marijuana use is more popular than cigarette use among young people, smoking cigarettes or marijuana could both elevate a student’s risk for lung damage or other health issues.

“It’s a bit of a complicated subject, as it’s not just the [tobacco] smoke that’s harmful to the lungs,†Colleen Miller, director of communications for the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, said. “It’s also the 400-plus additives and other harmful substances that are in cigarettes.â€

The University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research 2014 study titled “Monitoring the Future†indicated 20.8 percent of full-time students smoked marijuana over the course of the prior month, and only 12.9 percent of students smoked cigarettes the prior month. The study found 5.9 percent of students smoked marijuana daily or almost daily, while 5 percent smoked cigarettes daily or almost daily.

Tobacco smoke is composed of at least 70 known cancer-causing chemicals, according to the American Cancer Society. Marijuana smoke contains many of the same chemicals, including tar.  

There are several ways in which smoking marijuana can increase lung damage risk, according to the ACS. A marijuana joint is usually smoked to the end, where tar content is highest. The smoke is also typically inhaled deeply and held in the lungs for some time, which gives carcinogens more opportunity to deposit into the lungs.

Richard Miech, a University of Michigan researcher who participated in the “Monitoring the Future†study, said the normal amount of each substance consumed makes it difficult to compare the risks of the substances. 

“Marijuana’s typical use is much less frequent than tobacco cigarettes,†Miech said. “An individual smoking the equivalent of a pack or two of marijuana joints per day is much rarer than an individual smoking a pack or two of cigarettes per day. Consequently, the cumulative, negative effect of marijuana on health is typically much smaller than the equivalent impact resulting from cigarettes.â€

Miech also said the recent marijuana legalization by some states also could have added to the confusion of its effects. 

“The growing wave of states that is legalizing recreational marijuana sends a signal to youth that marijuana use is safe and state-sanctioned,†Miech said.  “Because the legalization movement has received so much national attention, this signal extends even to youth who live in states that have not legalized marijuana’s recreational use.â€

Smoke of any kind is harmful to lung health, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Marijuana being burned releases toxins and carcinogens, which could increase health risks when smoked.

Smoke from marijuana contains many of the same toxins, irritants and carcinogens as tobacco smoke, according to the CDC, and these substances could lead to a greater risk of illnesses and health problems like bronchitis, coughing and phlegm production. 

The CDC found some relation to other forms of cancer from marijuana usage, but they did not have any concrete evidence of it contributing directly to lung cancer. Researchers have found an association between current, frequent or chronic marijuana smoking and testicular cancer, according to the CDC. More research is needed to understand the full impact of marijuana use on cancer.