How much does smoking marijuana damage my lungs?
A study by New Zealand scientists released a couple weeks ago indicate that, “Smoking a joint is equivalent to 20 cigarettes in terms of lung cancer risk.” The ABC News article points out that the increased risk is in part due to the lack of a filter, and because stoners inhale “more deeply and for longer, facilitating the deposition of carcinogens in the airways.” The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws takes issue with the study and argues that marijuana use may actually to reduce risk of cancer, but do suggest vaporization to “significantly reduce their intake of respiratory irritants or gaseous combustion toxins.”
