Why is smoking weed “better” than smoking cigarettes or vaping? Aren’t you inhaling harmful foreign substances in all cases?
In: 903
It’s better because the chemicals in cigarettes are worse. However, smoking ANYTHING is bad for your cardiovascular health.
It’s better because the chemicals in cigarettes are worse. However, smoking ANYTHING is bad for your cardiovascular health.
Heated tobacco creates TSN’s : Tobacco specific nitrosamines, which are the main carcinogens responsible for problems with tobacco use. Even when not smoked, most commercial tobacco products are flue cured using high heat and humidity so you don’t escape TSN’s with oral chewed, or insufflated tobacco.
Cannabis doesn’t produce TSNs. But many people mix tobacco and cannabis.
You are correct though, all smoking can cause COPD.
Heated tobacco creates TSN’s : Tobacco specific nitrosamines, which are the main carcinogens responsible for problems with tobacco use. Even when not smoked, most commercial tobacco products are flue cured using high heat and humidity so you don’t escape TSN’s with oral chewed, or insufflated tobacco.
Cannabis doesn’t produce TSNs. But many people mix tobacco and cannabis.
You are correct though, all smoking can cause COPD.
As no one has really answered this from the vape side of things – being a long-time vaper and ex vape-shop employee, I’ll throw my hat in the ring:
1. With cigarettes, what damages your lungs is the fact that you are combusting the tobacco. Tobacco that has so many additives to it, it might as well be a different plant. Not to mention that in “premades” (your typical pack of 20), there’s also thousands of other chemicals, which will eventually destroy your lungs (tar being one of the most notorious). Smoking rolling tobacco is better, but still not great, again due to combustion.
2. Weed. The issue with weed is that a lot of the people who smoke it, usually like to cut it with tobacco to make their supply last longer. On its own, as a “pure smoke” so-to-speak, it’s far better than smoking cigarettes or tobacco, but again, you are still combusting a product and inhaling it. Another reason that weed is “better than cigarettes”, is that most people aren’t smoking 20 joints a day, so the overall consumption is far less.
3. Vaping. With vaping there is no combustion, so it’s far better than the other 2 for your lungs. Also, especially in the UK/EU, most vape juices will be an extremely simple mix of VG (vegetable glycerine), PG (propylene glycol) and food-grade flavourings (so lab-tested safe for consumption). There might also be small additives such as menthol-crystal or sweetener, but not a lot else. Obviously, if you use nicotine (because you can get nic-free juices), include that as well. All of the base components are found in food and general medicine, with the exception of nicotine – which, based on recent studies, is actually no worse for you (in real terms) than caffeine.
Now, it’s common sense that inhaling anything other than air will come with risks, however, vaping, at least currently, is a lot safer than any other alternative and is one of the best proven methods to get people off of cigarettes/to stop smoking.
I’d also like to see studies done comparing a vaper’s lungs compared to a non-vaper who lives in a polluted city – which would be more damaging?
P.S: To anyone who replies with “but people died of vaping in the US!” – that story from a couple of years back was due to people vaping black-market (illegal) THC cartridges that were laden with vitamin-E acetate, which, when vaped, basically caused you to drown by lining your lungs with oil.
As no one has really answered this from the vape side of things – being a long-time vaper and ex vape-shop employee, I’ll throw my hat in the ring:
1. With cigarettes, what damages your lungs is the fact that you are combusting the tobacco. Tobacco that has so many additives to it, it might as well be a different plant. Not to mention that in “premades” (your typical pack of 20), there’s also thousands of other chemicals, which will eventually destroy your lungs (tar being one of the most notorious). Smoking rolling tobacco is better, but still not great, again due to combustion.
2. Weed. The issue with weed is that a lot of the people who smoke it, usually like to cut it with tobacco to make their supply last longer. On its own, as a “pure smoke” so-to-speak, it’s far better than smoking cigarettes or tobacco, but again, you are still combusting a product and inhaling it. Another reason that weed is “better than cigarettes”, is that most people aren’t smoking 20 joints a day, so the overall consumption is far less.
3. Vaping. With vaping there is no combustion, so it’s far better than the other 2 for your lungs. Also, especially in the UK/EU, most vape juices will be an extremely simple mix of VG (vegetable glycerine), PG (propylene glycol) and food-grade flavourings (so lab-tested safe for consumption). There might also be small additives such as menthol-crystal or sweetener, but not a lot else. Obviously, if you use nicotine (because you can get nic-free juices), include that as well. All of the base components are found in food and general medicine, with the exception of nicotine – which, based on recent studies, is actually no worse for you (in real terms) than caffeine.
Now, it’s common sense that inhaling anything other than air will come with risks, however, vaping, at least currently, is a lot safer than any other alternative and is one of the best proven methods to get people off of cigarettes/to stop smoking.
I’d also like to see studies done comparing a vaper’s lungs compared to a non-vaper who lives in a polluted city – which would be more damaging?
P.S: To anyone who replies with “but people died of vaping in the US!” – that story from a couple of years back was due to people vaping black-market (illegal) THC cartridges that were laden with vitamin-E acetate, which, when vaped, basically caused you to drown by lining your lungs with oil.
It’s important to realise the difference between “less harmful” and “harmless” especially in situations like this.
Inhaling smoke full-stop is harmful, so whether it be from a car exhaust, a house fire, tobacco or cannabis, you’re doing damage to your lungs.
The reason people say cannabis is *less harmful* than tobacco is because of the different chemicals contains in smokable versions of the plants, those in tobacco being substantially more harmful.
There is a similar story surrounding vaping, although I’m not entirely sure if we’ve figured out yet just how bad vaping is, but I believe the prevailing sentiment is that again, it’s **less harmful but still dangerous**.
It’s important to realise the difference between “less harmful” and “harmless” especially in situations like this.
Inhaling smoke full-stop is harmful, so whether it be from a car exhaust, a house fire, tobacco or cannabis, you’re doing damage to your lungs.
The reason people say cannabis is *less harmful* than tobacco is because of the different chemicals contains in smokable versions of the plants, those in tobacco being substantially more harmful.
There is a similar story surrounding vaping, although I’m not entirely sure if we’ve figured out yet just how bad vaping is, but I believe the prevailing sentiment is that again, it’s **less harmful but still dangerous**.
A small note on vaping vs smoking (anything).
For people who live in the EU (or are still affected by EU laws *cough* UK) vaping is safer than both. That’s not to say that vaping is *safe*, just *safer*. The reason I specify the EU is because the components of e-liquid are tightly regulated so that they contain exactly one toxic chemical – nicotine. Anything else should be deemed safe for inhalation. I’m aware that in the US you don’t necessary know what else is being thrown into the juice.
The long term effects of vaping are not known but we know there are dangers associated with nicotine, such as reduced fertility and – if used during pregnancy- a higher risk to the child. In any case, vaping is pretty objectively a *good* thing for *ex-smokers* who have had difficulty quitting in other ways – it’s just another version of NRT. But it’s only good in the sense that it is much, much less harmful than breathing in smoke of any kind. It can only be a bad thing for non smokers who take up vaping though.
A small note on vaping vs smoking (anything).
For people who live in the EU (or are still affected by EU laws *cough* UK) vaping is safer than both. That’s not to say that vaping is *safe*, just *safer*. The reason I specify the EU is because the components of e-liquid are tightly regulated so that they contain exactly one toxic chemical – nicotine. Anything else should be deemed safe for inhalation. I’m aware that in the US you don’t necessary know what else is being thrown into the juice.
The long term effects of vaping are not known but we know there are dangers associated with nicotine, such as reduced fertility and – if used during pregnancy- a higher risk to the child. In any case, vaping is pretty objectively a *good* thing for *ex-smokers* who have had difficulty quitting in other ways – it’s just another version of NRT. But it’s only good in the sense that it is much, much less harmful than breathing in smoke of any kind. It can only be a bad thing for non smokers who take up vaping though.
Latest Answers