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Thanks for your reply. Promise me you won’t drive under the influence, though, for safety purposes.

Did 40 years of smoking resinous material have a negative effect at all? We’re told marijuana cigarettes have a much higher tar content, a 5 to 1 ratio compared to tobacco. Wouldn’t it be better to eat it?

While marijuana residue has roughly double the oils ("tar" is tobacco's vernacular equivalent) that tobacco does weight-for-weight, the "tar" in cigarette smoke is over 90% non-absorbable by the lungs. It is anhydrous and builds up a permanent layer in the lungs.

The oils in MJ smoke are 85% absorbable and 100% enzyme soluble (pepsin, ptyalin, etc.), which prevents them causing the type of "black lung" condtion experienced by smokers of tobacco (not to be confused with coal mining's "Black Lung Disease"). Combined with the vasodialation of the lungs' capillaries caused by THC, the residue in my lungs doesn't exist.

I have no cough or bronchio-tracheal invlovement. Before I had a chauffer (most of my life) I drove myself. When stoned, I drove stoned. For over 35 years.

I have a Step 9 (lowest possible) license rating, no accidents ever and no speeding tickets in the last 20 years. Weed is not a neuromuscular inhibitor.

"...Wouldn’t it be better to eat it?"

Yes, it would be better. Eating it is a superior delivery method, but it takes a little preparation. You can't just break a chunk off the plant and eat it.

There is also a middle ground called "vaping". It makes the active ingredient into an inhaleable airborne oil without burning the actual plant material, and thus no tar. It's not perfect but it is a big improvement, lung health-wise.