IN8I
09-12-2005, 08:29 PM
http://www.olywa.net/when/indications13.html
Pulmonary Effects are often cited as the major health threat of smoked marihuana. Some studies have attempted to prove that marihuana smoke contains carcinogenic materials and/or leads to lung damage as does tobacco smoke.(1) Such research often fails to provide adequate controls for other pulmonary health hazards, as in a 1972 study of US servicemen who smoked both hashish and tobacco. A critical review of the research data reveals that not a single case of lung cancer has even been directly attributed to chronic marihuana smoking.(2) Comparing tobacco versus marihuana smoking only indicates that marihuana smoke is relatively harmless. As has been noted before the National Academy of Sciences, 50 to 60 million American tobacco smokers produces about 150,000 cases of lung cancer per year. If marihuana smoking were equally as dangerous, then the current estimates of 10 to 15 million marihuana smokers in America would produce between 25 and 40 thousand cases of lung cancer per year, but not even one such case has ever been reported.(3)
Although a survey by the Kaiser Permanente Center found that marihuana-only smokers have a 19% higher rate of respiratory complaints,(4) and some physicians have cited evidence of lung damage caused by frequent marihuana smoking,(5) more recent research provides compelling evidence that long-term inhalation of marihuana smoke does not cause any type of lung disease. The 8 year long UCLA study of 394 participants released in the spring of 1997 found that habitual long-term marijuana smokers do not experience a greater decline in lung function than non-smokers.(6),(7) A 1992 paper studied the effects of high potency cannabis on ventilatory drive and metabolic rate in 11 young, healthy marihuana-only smoking men discovered no evidence of hypercapnia (increased carbon dioxide in the blood) or hypoxia (lowered oxygen in the blood). To quote the study done at the Department of Clinical Pathology and Medicine at the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipai, "We conclude that smoking marihuana (13 to27 mg THC) has no acute effect on central or peripheral ventilatory drive or metabolic rate in habitual marihuana smokers."(8) In 1992 the National Academy of Science also noted that: "Other than brochiodilation, it has proven difficult to demonstrate any effects of acute cannabis smoking on breathing as measured by conventional pulmonary testing."(9) In a similar vein, according to The Lancet journal of medicine in Britain, "The smoking cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health."(10)
All potential pulmonary effects of cannabis smoking are completely circumvented by utilizing methods of oral ingestion.
PULMONARY EFFECTS NOTES:
Bias and the Cannabis researcher, Ungerleider, Andrysiak, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 8/21/81 (8-9 Suppl):153S-58S
A Critical Review of the Research Literature Concerning Some Biological and Psychological Effects of Cannabis, Dr. Peter L. Nelson, 1993, In Advisory Committee on Illicit Drugs, Cannabis and the law in Queensland: Criminal Justice Commission of Queensland, Australia
Testimony of Dr. D.L. Edwards, M.D. before the National Academy of Sciences in New Orleans, January, 1998
Health Care Use by Frequent Marihuana Smokers Who Do Not Smoke Tobacco, Western Journal of Medicine, v158 n6 p596-601, 6/93, source: Marihuana Health Mythology, Geiringer, 1994, CANORML
Is Frequent Marihuana Smoking Hazardous To Health?, Tashkin, Western Journal of Medicine, v158 n6 p635-7 source: Marihuana Health Mythology, Geiringer, 1994, CANORML
Heavy Long Term Marihuana Use Does Not Impair Lung Function, Says New Study, LA Times 4/3/97
UN Study Suppressed, Radford, Science Editor, The San Francisco Guardian, 2/19/98
Effects of smoked marihuana of varying potency on ventilatory drive and metabolic rate, Wu, Wright, Sassoon, and Tashkin, American Revue of Respiratory Disease, 1992 Sep;146(3):716-721, PubMed
National Academy of Science quote from: The health and psychological consequences of cannabis use, chapter 6, National Drug Strategy Monograph No. 25, Australia source: Schaffer Library of Drug Policy
Deglamorising cannabis, editorial staff, The Lancet, v346 n8985 p1241 11/11/95
Pulmonary Effects are often cited as the major health threat of smoked marihuana. Some studies have attempted to prove that marihuana smoke contains carcinogenic materials and/or leads to lung damage as does tobacco smoke.(1) Such research often fails to provide adequate controls for other pulmonary health hazards, as in a 1972 study of US servicemen who smoked both hashish and tobacco. A critical review of the research data reveals that not a single case of lung cancer has even been directly attributed to chronic marihuana smoking.(2) Comparing tobacco versus marihuana smoking only indicates that marihuana smoke is relatively harmless. As has been noted before the National Academy of Sciences, 50 to 60 million American tobacco smokers produces about 150,000 cases of lung cancer per year. If marihuana smoking were equally as dangerous, then the current estimates of 10 to 15 million marihuana smokers in America would produce between 25 and 40 thousand cases of lung cancer per year, but not even one such case has ever been reported.(3)
Although a survey by the Kaiser Permanente Center found that marihuana-only smokers have a 19% higher rate of respiratory complaints,(4) and some physicians have cited evidence of lung damage caused by frequent marihuana smoking,(5) more recent research provides compelling evidence that long-term inhalation of marihuana smoke does not cause any type of lung disease. The 8 year long UCLA study of 394 participants released in the spring of 1997 found that habitual long-term marijuana smokers do not experience a greater decline in lung function than non-smokers.(6),(7) A 1992 paper studied the effects of high potency cannabis on ventilatory drive and metabolic rate in 11 young, healthy marihuana-only smoking men discovered no evidence of hypercapnia (increased carbon dioxide in the blood) or hypoxia (lowered oxygen in the blood). To quote the study done at the Department of Clinical Pathology and Medicine at the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipai, "We conclude that smoking marihuana (13 to27 mg THC) has no acute effect on central or peripheral ventilatory drive or metabolic rate in habitual marihuana smokers."(8) In 1992 the National Academy of Science also noted that: "Other than brochiodilation, it has proven difficult to demonstrate any effects of acute cannabis smoking on breathing as measured by conventional pulmonary testing."(9) In a similar vein, according to The Lancet journal of medicine in Britain, "The smoking cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health."(10)
All potential pulmonary effects of cannabis smoking are completely circumvented by utilizing methods of oral ingestion.
PULMONARY EFFECTS NOTES:
Bias and the Cannabis researcher, Ungerleider, Andrysiak, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 8/21/81 (8-9 Suppl):153S-58S
A Critical Review of the Research Literature Concerning Some Biological and Psychological Effects of Cannabis, Dr. Peter L. Nelson, 1993, In Advisory Committee on Illicit Drugs, Cannabis and the law in Queensland: Criminal Justice Commission of Queensland, Australia
Testimony of Dr. D.L. Edwards, M.D. before the National Academy of Sciences in New Orleans, January, 1998
Health Care Use by Frequent Marihuana Smokers Who Do Not Smoke Tobacco, Western Journal of Medicine, v158 n6 p596-601, 6/93, source: Marihuana Health Mythology, Geiringer, 1994, CANORML
Is Frequent Marihuana Smoking Hazardous To Health?, Tashkin, Western Journal of Medicine, v158 n6 p635-7 source: Marihuana Health Mythology, Geiringer, 1994, CANORML
Heavy Long Term Marihuana Use Does Not Impair Lung Function, Says New Study, LA Times 4/3/97
UN Study Suppressed, Radford, Science Editor, The San Francisco Guardian, 2/19/98
Effects of smoked marihuana of varying potency on ventilatory drive and metabolic rate, Wu, Wright, Sassoon, and Tashkin, American Revue of Respiratory Disease, 1992 Sep;146(3):716-721, PubMed
National Academy of Science quote from: The health and psychological consequences of cannabis use, chapter 6, National Drug Strategy Monograph No. 25, Australia source: Schaffer Library of Drug Policy
Deglamorising cannabis, editorial staff, The Lancet, v346 n8985 p1241 11/11/95