Pubdate: Thu, 12 Jan 2012
Source: Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Nanaimo Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1608
Author: Derek Abma, Postmedia News

LIGHT POT SMOKING DOSEN'T CAUSE LUNG DAMAGE

Light to moderate marijuana smokers show no signs of lung damage, in 
contrast to cigarette smokers, according to results of a study 
conducted in the United States.

A report to be published Wednesday in the Journal of the American 
Medical Association shows that, over a 20-year period, pot smokers 
generally did not experience a loss in lung functioning. Many 
actually had enhanced lung capacity, which one researcher involved in 
the study speculated might come from the common practice of holding 
one's breath after inhaling cannabis smoke to maximize its 
intoxicating effects.

On the other hand, cigarette smokers were found to have less capacity 
in the amount of air they could exhale, and also in the speed at 
which they could empty the air from their lungs.

The study included more than 5,000 people in the U.S., who were 
assessed between 1986 and 2006.

"Marijuana may have beneficial effects on pain control, appetite, 
mood and management of other chronic symptoms," researchers from the 
University of California, University of Alabama and Northwestern 
University said in a statement. "Our findings suggest that occasional 
use of marijuana for these or other purposes may not be associated 
with adverse consequences on pulmonary function."

There was a decline in lung function found among pot smokers who were 
using the drug as frequently as 20 times a month, but the median 
usage rate among the marijuana smokers in this study was two to three 
times a month. Tobacco smokers in this study at the mid-range smoked 
eight to nine cigarettes a day.

Stefan Kertesz, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama 
who contributed to the study, said the low amount of marijuana 
generally smoked by subjects in comparison to the tobacco quantities 
is likely "crucial" to the findings. He said it remains inconclusive 
whether the substances themselves differ in how harmful they are to 
people's lungs.

"Tobacco smokers in this study are smoking what is really orders of 
magnitude more tobacco than marijuana smokers are smoking marijuana," he said.

Kertesz said the study did not address possible links between 
marijuana and fatal diseases such as lung cancer and cardiovascular 
disease, which have been found to result from tobacco smoking. 
However, he said past research has not shown connections between 
marijuana and these diseases.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D