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A 42-year-old member asked:

Is smoking cigarettes equivalent to smoking weed?

2 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Leonard Spishakoff
Specializes in Addiction Medicine
Yes and no: Both do harm to the body in different ways, nicotine is implicated with cancer , weed also has implicated with cancer in a recent study an increased incidence of testicular cancer was found . In regards to addiction they both cause increase of Dopamine which happens to be the chief chemical associated with pleasure, reward and re-inforcement of a behavior. I would suggest both not be used.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Heidi Fowler
Psychiatry 27 years experience
NO: Marijuana smoke has bronchial irritants. Inhalation with marijuana is more prolonged & deeper than with tobacco. Higher combustion temperatures are reached because it is smoked to a shorter butt. This leads to a carboxyhemoglobin concentration that is 5 x ^ than tobacco. 3 x more tar is inhaled. Prolonged use of cannabis can lead to airway inflammation, wheezing & ^ in sputum production.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

Midlothian, IL
A 24-year-old male asked:

Why does smoking weed cause you to cough but smoking cigarettes doesnt?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Laurence Badgley
General Practice 53 years experience
Particulates: Male asks why cigarettes do not arouse cough like "weed". Most cigarettes have filters that remove tars and particulates. Cannabis is smoked directly & is ladened with particulates which must be removed by the pulmonary toilet, which is the body's mechanism for helping the lungs clean. Cough is the engine that runs the pulmonary toilet.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Jan 3, 2019
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