Pubdate: Thu, 02 Feb 2012 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2012 Times Colonist Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Dr. Paul Donohue, Columnist NEGTATIVE EFFECTS OF SMOKING MARIJUANA Dear Dr. Donohue As marijuana smoking is quite popular, I would like to know what effect its smoke has on the lungs of the user. Having been part of the police department and being aware that users inhale and keep the smoke in their lungs for quite a while, it seems that this practice could be damaging. Is a marijuana cigarette more harmful than a nicotine cigarette? R.M. Answer It's almost intuitive that deeply inhaling a substance that has more than 150 compounds in it, as marijuana has, is not going to be a health boon for the lungs. The pleasant feeling, giddiness and relaxation that are the attraction of smoking marijuana come from tetrahydrocannabinol, THC. What the other 149 compounds do isn't known with great certainty. Marijuana has three times the tar that cigarettes have. It might lead to lung cancer. That's an issue that has been speculated about but has never been proved. Marijuana smoke, like cigarette smoke, irritates the airways and, for chronic users, causes a cough and diminished lung capacity. It also causes wheezing and shortness of breath. Most marijuana smokers smoke fewer marijuana cigarettes than nicotine smokers smoke nicotine cigarettes. That's one plus for pot. The long-term consequences of marijuana smoking are destructive to the lungs but apparently less destructive than nicotine smoking, again for the reason that the number of marijuana cigarettes inhaled per day is far less than the number of nicotine cigarettes. Dear Dr. Donohue I have enclosed three X-ray reports. Why is there such difference? Is it possible that one X-ray company is owned by an insurance company? K.P. Answer All three read pretty much the same to me. One mentions spondylosis, which is degenerative changes due to arthritis. Another refers to the same procep ss as degenerative osteophytosis. "Osteophytosis" is a word not much used but means bony outgrowths seen in arthritis. Retrolisthesis is a slight slipping of one vertebra backward over the vertebra below it. One cites disk narrowing. The others don't, probably because it's slight. I think the different words with similar meanings are the reason for your confusion. I never heard of an insurance company owning a radiology practice. Will you write back with your address in the letter? I want to return your check. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.