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   From: froid@sane.org   
      
   Steve Cummings  wrote in   
   news:t00hu7$25np7$90@news.freedyn.de:   
      
   > progressive liberal Democrats who smoke marijuana are most likely to   
   > produce intellectually inferior sexually dysfunctional gender confused   
   > little queers.   
      
   Scientists are not sure if smoking weed can cause lung cancer. However,   
   cannabis smoke contains many of the same chemicals as tobacco smoke, which   
   doctors know can cause lung cancer.   
      
   Additionally, manyTrusted Source people use both cannabis and tobacco. As   
   people who smoke tobacco are 15–30 timesTrusted Source more likely to   
   develop or die from lung cancer than those who do not, mixing cannabis   
   with tobacco use will impact a person’s risk.   
      
   In this article, we will look in more detail at whether you can get lung   
   cancer from smoking weed. We will also look at the other ways cannabis may   
   affect the lungs and discuss the safest methods for using it.   
      
   Is there a link between lung cancer and smoking cannabis?   
   Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images   
   Researchers are not sure if smoking weed can cause lung cancer. However,   
   there are similarities between tobacco smoke and cannabis smoke. This may   
   mean that smoking cannabis contributes to a person’s lung cancer risk.   
      
   Smoking any productTrusted Source is harmful to the lungs. When plants   
   burn, they release chemicals that can cause cancer. These are known as   
   carcinogens.   
      
   When people inhale carcinogens, it damages cell DNA in the nose, mouth,   
   esophagus, and lungs. Over time, this raises the risk that cells will grow   
   in abnormal ways and form a tumor.   
      
   Tobacco smoke is linked to 80–90%Trusted Source of lung cancer deaths in   
   the United States. Cannabis smoke contains many of the same toxins. In   
   fact, compared with the carcinogens in cigarette smoke, cannabis smoke   
   contains:   
      
   about 50%Trusted Source more benzopyrene   
   about 75% more benzanthracene   
   more phenols, vinyl chlorides, nitrosamines, and reactive oxygen species   
   Because people inhale more deeply when smoking cannabis, it also leads to   
   four times the amount of tar deposits in the lungs compared to cigarettes.   
      
   However, people use tobacco and cannabis in different ways, which may   
   affect cannabis smoke’s impact on lung cancer risk. For example, people   
   may smoke cannabis less often than people typically smoke tobacco, as its   
   effects last longer than nicotine.   
      
   It can also be challenging to determine whether cannabis or tobacco is   
   responsible for lung cancer, as people often use both. Overall, scientists   
   need to perform more studies to assess the risk.   
      
   How does cannabis smoke affect the lungs?   
   Cannabis smoke can harm the lungs in several ways. According to the   
   National Institute on Drug AbuseTrusted Source, cannabis smoke affects   
   people by:   
      
   irritating the throat and lungs   
   increasing inflammation, or swelling, in the airways   
   increasing airway resistance, creating less room for air to move in and   
   out   
   leading to hyperinflation, which occurs when air gets trapped inside the   
   lungs, making it more difficult for the body to pull in fresh air   
   damaging or scarring small blood vessels in the lungs   
   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted   
   Source, regularly smoking cannabis also increases the risk of respiratory   
   side effects, such as:   
      
   coughing   
   wheezing   
   overproduction of phlegm   
   Can smoking cannabis cause other lung conditions?   
   Some studies indicate that smoking cannabis may cause or worsen other lung   
   conditions. These include:   
      
   Bronchitis   
   Bronchitis occurs when the airways swell. The symptoms include coughing,   
   wheezing, and shortness of breath.   
      
   According to the American Lung Association, people who regularly smoke   
   cannabis may be more at risk for acute bronchitis. Over time, lung damage   
   may lead to chronic bronchitis.   
      
   Pneumonia   
   Pneumonia is the result of a severe lung infection. It can be caused by   
   viruses, bacteria, or fungi.   
      
   The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis can suppress the immune system,   
   which some scientistsTrusted Source suggest may put cannabis smokers at   
   risk for respiratory infections, such as pneumonia.   
      
   However, studies on this have mixed results. Some find no connection   
   between cannabis use and pneumonia.   
      
   The symptoms of pneumonia include:   
      
   a cough that produces green, yellow, or bloody mucus   
   fever   
   sweating   
   chills   
   shortness of breath   
   shallow breathing   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)