Study Shows Toxins In Marijuana Smoke

(WebMD)  New research from Canada shows that some toxins may be more abundant in marijuana cigarettes than tobacco cigarettes.

The researchers burned 30 marijuana cigarettes and 30 tobacco cigarettes on a machine in their lab, measuring levels of chemicals in the smoke.

Ammonia levels were up to 20 times higher in marijuana smoke than in tobacco smoke.  Levels of hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen-related chemicals were three to five times higher in marijuana smoke than in tobacco smoke.

The nitrogen-based fertilizer used on the marijuana plants -- which all came from the same batch of Canadian pot plants -- may have affected the results.
The temperatures used to burn the cigarettes may also have been a factor.

Marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke shared many of the same chemicals. But the two types of smoke weren't identical.

For instance, marijuana doesn't contain nicotine. And tobacco doesn't contain cannabinoids, which include THC, marijuana's active ingredient

Tobacco has long been linked to cancer and other health problems. Marijuana smoke hasn't been tied to cancer in the past, note the
researchers, who included David Moir of the Safe Environments Programme in
Kitchener, Ontario.

Moir and colleagues report their findings in the advance online edition of
Chemical Research in Toxicology.

They promise to compare the toxicity of marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke in
animals in another study.



By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario
©2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved

[rushman71]

Legalize Marijuana!!! For a better, peaceful America!!!

Roll it up,
Light it up,
Smoke it up,
Inhale...Exhale!!!

[rushman71]

"Tobacco has long been linked to cancer and other health problems. Marijuana smoke hasn''t been tied to cancer in the past...."

So they think they''ll find ties of this in the future? I don''t think so!!!

[rushman71]

"They promise to compare the toxicity of marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke in
animals in another study."

They already know how toxic tobacco is, but the way things have been going on for centuries, will never prove that Cannabis is lethal or harmful in any way.

[tngreen]

I''d be interested to know what kind of paper and glue were used in the "cigarettes," since that''s where some of tobacco-filled cigarettes'' toxins come from. It would have been a better test simply to burn tobacco and marijuana rather than "cigarettes," which introduces an unnecessary variable. But then the results would have made marijuana look better, and Big Pharma can''t have that, can they?

I recommend that we all try to find out who sponsors the Safe Environments Programme and this research. "Follow the money."

[klingon69]

Another myth about pot smoking is that casual marijuana use does not stay in ones urine for weeks on end as we have all been lead to believe from the Republicons War on the American pot smoker. Weekend pot use only will disappear from ones system within 24 hours, I know this from experience.
Posted by neoconism at 11:09 AM : Dec 18, 2007
However, these substances will remain in the body based upon body density, fluid intake/output and other factors. While some extremely slender persons may be able to eliminate it from their body over a weekend, some obese persons will retain it longer. It may be stored in the fat cells of the body.

[klingon69]

You''''ll see me tonight
With an illegal smile.
It don''''t cost very much,
But it lasts a long while.

Please tell the man
I didn''''t kill anyone.
I''''m just trying
To have me some fun.
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 04:21 AM : Dec 18, 2007
Ya just gotta love John Prine.

[AttentionDeficit]

I agree. Prine is great.

A bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down
and won

[rushman71]

Homer Simpson:"MMMMMM, brownies!!!! UHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Brownies!!! UHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! How come I''m feeling tired? I don''t know, but I need more brownies!!! UHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[displeased]

They need to do this study using a water pipe. That seems to be the preferred method, not joints.

[AttentionDeficit]

Or a vaporizer

[gunownerdan]

This looks like just another flawed study.
Cigarettes have filters, joints don''t.
People who smoke cigarettes often smoke 20 - 40 cigarettes a day.
People who smoke marijuana don''t often smoke more than one or two joints a day.
I bet this "study" is just more government-funded "reefer madness" style propaganda.

[rru2s]

As a chemist, this news article misses the boat completely.

Ask any toxicologist, and they will tell you the biggest danger in smoke is cancer causing polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are the basic byproducts of combustion. Their concentration is up in the percentage level -- heck, that is essentially what makes up the bulk of "tar" and "soot" that is the main ingredient in all plant-source smoke.

So both marijuana and tobacco create lots of carcinogens. Lung cancer is the most likely mortality caused by chronic inhalation of smoke.

[TheFoulOne]

Yeah if you burn it. Not if you vaporize it or produce a tincture, or bake it in brownies.
All of the marijuana debate is bullcrap anyhow as long as the drug alcohol is legal. No one has ever heard of anyone smoking a joint and running over someone in a car. Or burning one and beating up someone in a bar. Or even having a medical problem from it. How many alcohol related deaths occur each year compared to marijuana? You never get a hangover from marijuana.