Like smoking tobacco, smoking weed or cannabis can also have damaging effects on the lungs, although research on the subject is not as clear-cut.
Smoking is one of the biggest threats to lung health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that cigarette smoking is responsible for over
Smoking cigarettes can have a number of negative effects on a person’s lungs. These include:
- changing the function of the lungs
- affecting the lungs’ structure
- increasing the risk of a number of serious medical conditions, including cancer
Smoking cannabis can also damage the lungs. This is because the smoke from cannabis contains many of the same toxins, irritants, and carcinogens as tobacco smoke.
This article explores the effects of smoking cannabis on the lungs and compares them to the effects of smoking tobacco.
There is little evidence about the effects of smoking cannabis on the lungs. However, this may be due to underreporting of cannabis use and its illegal status in many countries.
People typically mix cannabis with tobacco and smoke it in joints or “spliffs.” Additionally, while cannabis smokers may smoke less tobacco than cigarette smokers, they tend to hold the smoke in their lungs for longer. This increases the lungs’ exposure to damaging carcinogens — substances that can cause cancer.
Coughing and sputum
Smoking cannabis may increase coughing and sputum production in a similar way to smoking tobacco.
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The American Lung Association (ALA) states that these symptoms arise due to cannabis smoke injuring the cell linings of the large airways.
Bronchitis
Swelling and inflammation in the bronchial tubes cause bronchitis. Acute bronchitis usually clears up on its own, while chronic bronchitis is persistent and may never go away.
A person with this condition usually experiences the following symptoms:
- coughing
- wheezing
- difficulty breathing
The ALA says that cannabis smoke injures cell linings in the airways and can cause chronic bronchitis.
Lung cancer
Smoking cannabis may increase the risk of lung cancer because it produces carcinogens similar to those of tobacco smoke.
People who smoke cigarettes are
A 2021 study examined how cannabis use affects young males with primary lung cancer undergoing surgery. People who smoked cannabis and tobacco had larger tumors, altered molecular profiles, and more complications after surgery than those who smoked tobacco only or did not smoke at all.
The study authors noted that cannabis smoke has more harmful chemicals than tobacco smoke, but awareness of this is lacking among many healthcare professionals.
A 2017 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found no statistical association between cannabis smoking and lung, head and neck, and other cancers.
Learn more about cannabis and lung cancer.
There are over
Due to the abundance of chemicals, cigarette smoke can affect the lungs in many ways, as the following sections describe.
Changes the physical appearance of the lungs
Cigarette smoke can cause the lungs to change drastically in appearance.
People commonly refer to the black-pigmented material in cigarette smoke as tar, which can change the color of the lungs from pink to gray or black.
Cigarette smoke can also cause the lungs to become hyperinflated and develop patches of inflammation. This may also cause the diaphragm to lose muscle, which changes the lungs’ shape.
Increases mucus production
Smoking causes the lungs to produce more mucus. This occurs because the smoke damages the epithelial cells that line a person’s airway.
This damage then triggers goblet cell production, which leads to the increased production of mucus in the lungs.
This increased level of mucus in the lung has links to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that worsens over time.
COPD includes two main conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which involve symptoms such as breathing difficulty and wheezing.
Causes coughing
Tiny hairs in the airways, called cilia, prevent dirt and mucus from getting into the lungs.
Smoking tobacco can destroy these hairs, allowing a number of these irritants to build up in the lungs.
This can lead to a person developing a chronic cough or “smoker’s cough,” which is common in long-term or daily smokers.
Lowers oxygen levels
When a person smokes tobacco, the carbon monoxide in the smoke displaces the oxygen in their blood.
This deprives the organs of the oxygen they require. Organs and other parts of the body need oxygen to function properly, so it is important that a person’s oxygen levels do not drop too far.
The lungs also contain small blood vessels called capillaries. These allow the oxygen in the lungs to pass into the bloodstream and travel to the organs and other parts of the body.
Smoking can damage the capillaries. This can lead to a person developing low oxygen levels in their blood, as less oxygen is able to pass through the damaged capillaries and into the bloodstream.
Learn more about how smoking affects the lungs.
There are other ways to consume cannabis that do not involve smoking it. They include:
- Edibles: Edibles are foods and drinks infused with cannabis. They deliver the cannabis to the body through the mouth and digestive system. People often see these products as an alternative to smoking or vaping.
- Vaping: A vaporizer heats the cannabis and extracts the cannabinoids, converting them into vapor, which a person then inhales. Different types of vaporizers use varying methods to heat cannabis.
Read about the health effects of vaping versus smoking.
Both tobacco smoking and cannabis smoking can cause health issues, although research on the effects of cannabis smoking on the lungs is less clear.
Smoking tobacco and cannabis can lead to a person developing a cough, producing more sputum, and developing a wheeze when they breathe. They can also both lead to lung disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchitis.
Smoking tobacco can also lower a person’s blood oxygen levels and is the leading risk factor for developing lung cancer. However, there is a lack of research into the links between cannabis smoking and lung cancer.