Posted on 01/27/2008 5:32:48 AM PST by saganite
A new study finds that the development of bullous lung disease occurs in marijuana smokers approximately 20 years earlier than tobacco smokers.
A condition often caused by exposure to toxic chemicals or long-term exposure to tobacco smoke, bullous lung disease (also known as bullae) is a condition where air trapped in the lungs causes obstruction to breathing and eventual destruction of the lungs.
At present, about 10% of young adults and 1% of the adult population smoke marijuana regularly. Researchers find that the mean age of marijuana-smoking patients with lung problems was 41, as opposed to the average age of 65 years for tobacco-smoking patients.
The study "Bullous Lung Disease due to Marijuana" also finds that the bullous lung disease can easily go undetected as patients suffering from the disease may show normal chest X-rays and lung functions. High-resolution CT scans revealed severe asymmetrical, variably sized bullae in the patients studied. However, chest X-rays and lung functions were normal in half of them.
Lead author Dr. Matthew Naughton says, "What is outstanding about this study is the relatively young ages of the lung disease patients, as well as the lack of abnormality on chest X-rays and lung functions in nearly half of the patients we tested."
He added, "Marijuana is inhaled as extremely hot fumes to the peak inspiration and held for as long as possible before slow exhalation. This predisposes to greater damage to the lungs and makes marijuana smokers are more prone to bullous disease as compared to cigarette smokers."
Patients who smoke marijuana inhale more and hold their breath four times longer than cigarette smokers. It is the breathing manoeuvres of marijuana smokers that serve to increase the concentration and pulmonary deposition of inhaled particulate matter – resulting in greater and more rapid lung destruction.
This paper is published in the January 2008 issue of Respirology.
Could you explain?
Common sense tells me that inhaling hot smoke and holding it in your lungs for a relatively long time can’t be terribly healthy. People become attached to their vices and defend them regardless of the evidence. To change the subject just a bit (but not much), alcoholics can be in a state of denial about their addiction, as can be drug addicts. People don’t want their vices taken away.
Are you signing on to that?
Same with Snoop Dogg, who probably has smoked a forest full of MJ in his life. He should have keeled over years ago.
It is difficult to see how smoking tobacco harms your lungs and smoking pot does not.
Me? You're the one who wants to legalize drugs, flooding our existing government social programs with new enrollees.
"It's not as if we live in the perfect Libertarian state of nature, with the tiny exception of those pesky drug laws. We live in a Nanny State that takes care of us from cradle to grave and steals half our income."
"In theory, our areas of agreement should have included, among other things: eliminating the Department of Health and Human Services, eliminating the Department of Education, eliminating the Department of Commerce, eliminating the National Endowment of the Arts, eliminating the National Endowment for the Humanities, eliminating the Department of Agriculture, eliminating the Department of Housing and Urban Development, eliminating the Department of Transportation, eliminating the progressive income tax and instituting a flat tax."
"Our sole area of disagreement was whether to abolish the drug laws before or after completing the above tasks."
-- Ann Coulter, Jewish World Review Sept. 26, 2000
I say we get rid of those programs first, then look at the drug laws.
“It is no ones business but the person smoking MJ if their lungs rot out or not. “
I would like to see statistics on marijuana users and driving. It takes a month for the body to get rid of all of the chemicals contained in marijuana because some are fat-soluble.
Can anyone there grow it and sell it? No?
Legal medical marijuana in Canada, supplied by the Canadian government (can't get more legal than that!), is about $150 an ounce for ditchweed -- the same price as some llegal crap from Mexico.
Can anyone grow it there? Sell it? No? Apparently Mojave doesn't have a lock on obtuseness.
The point being that I'm not convinced that legal marijuana will be cheap. Other than the users, who wants cheap marijuana? Parents? Employers? Law enforcement? Teachers?
People sick of property crimes because drug prices are high.
Surely you are not suggesting that five joints a day is unusual for a pot-head? BWAAAHHAAAHAAA!!
Who but a complete naif wouldn't believe that a percentage of them will yield to temptation?
“Doesn’t seem to have affected Willie Nelson, and he’s probably burned more than anyone....”
You’re referring to one person. There are also people who have smoked tobacco cigarettes all their lives and they remain healthy. The example of one person proves nothing.
All supporters of legalized pot have a huge sense of entitlement and no sense of responsibilty I guess.
Both Australian studies suggest cannabis may actually reduce the responsibility rate and lower crash risk. Put another way, cannabis consumption either increases driving ability or, more likely, drivers who use cannabis make adjustments in driving style to compensate for any loss of skill (Drummer, 1995). This is consistent with simulator and road studies that show drivers who consumed cannabis slowed down and drove more cautiously (see Ward & Dye, 1999; Smiley, 1999. This compensation could help reduce the probability of being at fault in a motor vehicle accident since drivers have more time to respond and avoid a collision. However, it must be noted that any behavioral compensation may not be sufficient to cope with the reduced safety margin resulting from the impairment of driver functioning and capacity.”
Source: Laberge, Jason C., Nicholas J. Ward, “Research Note: Cannabis and Driving — Research Needs and Issues for Transportation Policy,” Journal of Drug Issues, Dec. 2004, pp. 980.
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/marijuan.htm
Yes. Anyone can grow pot as the primary caregiver to a "patient" with a California marijuana recommendation.
Post #122 LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
The accusation didn't say "two of them".
Hey, you’re supposed to be on the other side!
At the same time, IMO, this argument about the sick and dying people who are in pain and need their reefer is a manipulative ploy used by pot heads who want the drug legalized. Would you be in favor of marijuana in pill form, with the appropriate ingredients isolated scientifically for inclusion in the pill? Remember that regular old reefer contains a lot of extra chemicals which do nothing for pain relief.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.