Why is smoking weed “better” than smoking cigarettes or vaping? Aren’t you inhaling harmful foreign substances in all cases?
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Inhaling smoke is always harmful. It’s a question of degree – more inhaling of smoke is worse for your lungs than less. (We don’t yet have enough longterm data to know very much about the longterm effects of vaping.)
The other pivotal issue is the substance in question: nicotine vs. THC. Nicotine is the active ingredient in cigarettes and vape liquid that’s addictive. It causes chemical dependence, meaning that it affects the brain in a way that causes users to crave it and experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop using it. THC is the active ingredient in cannabis that causes users to get high, and it does not cause chemical dependence or cause withdrawal symptoms. (Some people do become “psychologically addicted” to weed, but chemical dependence doesn’t happen.)
Another important difference between a joint and a cigarette is the other ingredients. In addition to having nicotine, cigarettes are known to have dozens of cancer-causing chemicals in them, as well as heavy metals, radioactive compounds, and poisons ([source](https://www.verywellmind.com/harmful-chemicals-in-cigarettes-and-cigarette-smoke-2824715)). These are not inherent to the nicotine; they’re added during [manufacturing](https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/chemicals-every-cigarette) for various reasons. Nicotine, while addictive, doesn’t cause cancer (for whatever that’s worth).
In a joint, typically the only ingredient is cannabis plant matter. There are no chemical additives (ideally; this is one of the reasons why regulating drugs is important, so you know what you’re getting and that there’s no Weird Shit in there), just the chemical compounds naturally present in cannabis. None of those chemical compounds are currently known to cause cancer or or any other health problem. [Inhaling cannabis smoke can be harmful](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/health-effects/effects.html), though, particularly if you inhale a lot, regularly, and for a long time (mostly issues like mucus in the lungs, smoker’s cough, and bronchitis).
It really is a case of the degree of harm. No reasonable person can argue that regularly inhaling smoke is good for you, but cigarettes are definitely far more harmful to health than a joint that has only cannabis (sourced from a reputable regulated supplier).
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