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   From: froid@sane.org   
      
   Steve Cummings  wrote in   
   news:svj687$1uedv$92@news.freedyn.de:   
      
   > progressive dope smokers all turn out to be sexually confused queers.   
      
   Cannabis is the most-commonly smoked substance after tobacco and is used   
   for both recreational and medical purposes.   
      
   As the number of cannabis users increases, there’s an ongoing need to   
   study the effects of smoking cannabis on the lungs.   
      
   In a new study, researchers completed a case-control study of cannabis   
   smokers, tobacco-only smokers, and nonsmokers and found that airway   
   inflammation and emphysema are more common in people who smoke cannabis   
   than in cigarette smokers and nonsmokers.   
      
   The researchers looked for evidence of emphysema and other lung changes   
   using image analysis of the chest CT scans. They found that people who   
   smoked cannabis had higher rates of airway changes than people who only   
   smoked tobacco or nonsmokers.   
      
   Lead author Dr. Giselle Revah, a cardiothoracic radiologist at Ottawa   
   Hospital in Canada and assistant professor in the department of radiology,   
   radiation oncology and medical physics at the University of Ottawa,   
   explained to Medical News Today:   
      
   “Emphysema is a disease of the small air sacs in the lungs when the walls   
   of those sacs get damaged. Small holes are created in the lung, and in   
   those areas, the gas exchange function of the lung is impaired (taking in   
   oxygen and removing carbon dioxide).”   
      
   The researchers suggested these differences might be due to the way that   
   cannabis is smoked, as cannabis smoke typically enters the lungs   
   unfiltered.   
      
   The findings were published on November 15 in the journal Radiology.   
      
   Comparing the effects of cannabis vs. cigarettes on the lungs   
   Researchers used a retrospective case-control study of chest computerized   
   tomography (CT) findings to examine the effects of cannabis and cigarettes   
   on health outcomes like emphysema, which may cause chronic cough and lead   
   to difficulty breathing.   
      
   As part of the research, 146 participants were categorized into the   
   following groups:   
      
   cannabis smokers: 56   
   nonsmoker control patients: 57   
   or tobacco-only smokers: 33   
   The researchers compared CT images of cannabis smokers to heavy cigarette   
   smokers and nonsmokers of the same age and gender. They found that   
   emphysema was more common in cannabis smokers than in cigarette smokers or   
   nonsmokers.   
      
   “93% of the marijuana smokers had emphysema rather than 67% of the   
   tobacco-only smokers,” Dr. Revah said.   
      
   The CT scan images were reviewed separately by two trained radiologists   
   who were blinded to the clinical history of the participants (i.e., their   
   history of cannabis or tobacco use).   
      
   Any lung findings identified were classified into either emphysema or   
   airway changes.   
      
   Statistical analyses were performed, and a consensus was agreed upon by   
   both radiologists to ensure a consistent approach to their review.   
      
   The researchers also found that cannabis smokers had higher rates of   
   airway inflammation.   
      
   The CT imaging showed more mucus buildup in the airways, bronchial wall   
   thickening, and sometimes irreversible enlargement of the airways.   
      
   “This can lead to more congestive symptoms and predisposed to infections,”   
   Dr. Revah noted. “Ultimately, we need more robust research before we can   
   make sweeping conclusions.”   
      
   Dr. Revah added that cannabis smokers also had higher rates of   
   gynecomastia (increased breast tissue growth in males), though this was   
   already a known association.   
      
   “Male breast tissue was found in 38% of the marijuana smokers compared to   
   11% of the tobacco-only smokers and 16% of the controls,” Dr. Revah said.   
      
   Understanding the risks of smoking cannabis   
   In general, the public perception is that cannabis is relatively safe,   
   possibly even safer than cigarettes.   
      
   But the newly identified link between cannabis use and irreversible lung   
   damage could mean that cannabis is potentially more harmful than many   
   people may realize.   
      
   A possible explanation, noted Dr. Revah, is that cannabis is usually   
   smoked unfiltered, whereas tobacco cigarettes are generally filtered.   
      
   “When marijuana is inhaled, more particulates reach the airways and are   
   deposited,” Dr. Revah explained. These particulates are likely airway   
   irritants. The way marijuana is inhaled compared to tobacco with longer   
      
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