gaseous and the particulate phases of tobacco and cannabis smoke contain a similar range of harmful chemicals
however, differing patterns of inhalation mean that smoking a 'joint' of cannabis results in exposure to significantly greater amounts of combusted material than with a tobacco cigarette
histopathological effects of cannabis smoke exposure include changes consistent with acute and chronic bronchitis
cellular dysplasia has also been observed, suggesting that, like tobacco smoke, cannabis exposure has the potential to cause malignancy
symptoms of cough and early morning sputum production are common (20-25%) even in young individuals who smoke cannabis alone
almost all studies indicate that the effects of cannabis and tobacco smoking are additive and independent
in 2002, the British Lung Foundation published a report entitled Cannabis — a smoking gun? In summary, this report found that three or four cannabis cigarettes a day are associated with the same evidence of acute and chronic bronchitis and the same degree of damage to the bronchial mucosa as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day
cannabis smoking is associated with bullous lung disease in young people - it has also been noted that (2):
inflammatory lung changes, chronic cough, and chest infections are similar to those in cigarette smokers, but may also be commoner in younger people
premalignant changes have been shown in the pulmonary epithelium, and there are reports of lung, tongue, and other cancers in cannabis smokers
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