How bad is marijuana, really?

[Cliffsofdover]

Okay, I have a few health questions for those who know a little more about weed than I myself do.

The longer you hold in the smoke, the more harmful to your lungs, obviously. However, I've heard that holding it in won't get you significantly higher than releasing it a few seconds after you inhale it, thus saving your lungs a lot of trouble. True or false?

Does it matter how often you smoke, or the quantity smoked? What I mean is this. Will taking 6 hits of whatever in one sitting be equal in lung damage to taking a single hit of the same stuff every day for six days?

Lastly, its obvious that smoking more potent stuff gets you much higher. Now what about the effects on the lungs? Will more potent stuff be more damaging per hit than less potent stuff, or is the difference insignificant?

Thanks in advance guys.

Cliffsofdover Reviewed by Cliffsofdover on 12-08-2006. How bad is marijuana, really? Okay, I have a few health questions for those who know a little more about weed than I myself do. The longer you hold in the smoke, the more harmful to your lungs, obviously. However, I've heard that holding it in won't get you significantly higher than releasing it a few seconds after you inhale it, thus saving your lungs a lot of trouble. True or false? Does it matter how often you smoke, or the quantity smoked? What I mean is this. Will taking 6 hits of whatever in one sitting be equal Rating: 5

[40oz]

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/drugs/hemp-marijuana/

[Frivolous248]

Well, I got no research to back this up, but holding it longer doesn't get ya' higher.

If anything, it deprives your brain from oxygen so you might get a light-headed/placebo effect and think you're more high.

More potent weed shouldn't do more damage to your lungs, its an increase in THC, not tar.

Don't worry too much about lung damage, weed won't give you lung cancer, its been proven there is no connection between weed and lung cancer. As for other stuff related to lungs, I don't know. I'm not too worried though, so many people smoke so much more than me and don't seem to have terrible lungs.

[LuckyNiner]

Don't hold your hits in any longer than a few seconds. Most of the THC is absorbed instantly.

I'm not sure. If pressed I would say that smoking a large amount in a single session as opposed to spreading it out over several days would be slightly more harmful to your lungs, because cannabis is a bronchial dilator, meaning that it opens up the alveoli in your lungs, which may allow tars and carcinogens from the smoke to get in deeper.

Honestly, though, you really shouldn't worry about lung damage from smoking weed unless you're a heavy everyday smoker like me, which I'm assuming you're not. Cannabis smoke, especially when filtered through water (get a bong) is relatively mild.

High-quality weed, dried and cured well, is a much smoother, not to mention tastier smoke than schwag. Plus, of course, you'll have to smoke a lot less to get much higher.

I hope that was helpful.

[420izzle]

MJ smoke contains tar and carbon-monoxide and 108 other chemicals. Get a vaporizer if your concerned about health issues and want to continue using for a long time. A water pipe won't actually help filter out the harmful stuff. Check out the MAPS/NORML study on vaporizers and water pipes. Surprisingly, water pipes can be more harmful than joints. I can finally breath easy after 17 years of smoking....thanks to the vape!

[ckoutlaw]

same here. vaporizing gives me a better high too. I dont get stupid unless i vape ALOT. which i usually do. lol

[Storm Crow]

I've toked for 40 years- my lungs were a mess. It took just 2 weeks after getting a vaporizer for them to be clear. No morning cough! If you are worried about your health, vaporizing is the way to go! Plus, vaping doesn't have that tell-tale pot smell. In fact, there's almost NO smell. The pot is still there after vaping (unlike smoking), and it makes passable brownies. To be honest, they are not as good as if you had used bud, but they get you quite pleasantly high. So, you get to get high twice on the same weed. Get a vaporizer! I got a little Vapor Brothers after doing a bit of research. I finally bought from discountworldonline.com I got a receipt, which I expected and then a notice stating it had been shipped about 48 hours after my order (I was surprised at the fast service- I expected about 4 days to ship it). Arrived in the mail about a week after I ordered (there was a Sunday in there, too). Always a bit paranoid about chemicals, I ran it empty at high for an hour. Vaping some of my homegrown for the first time was heavenly!

[mcweedy]

The more potent cannabis strains are easier on the lungs than schwag because you dont require as much to get the desired effect, therefore less smoke is inhaled. Another point I would like to make is that I dont care what kind of studies have been done on deeply inhaling and holding in marijuana smoke but i know from personal experience that if I hold it in for 3 seconds i get high, but if I hold it for say....10 seconds, I get tore the fuck up! If your not holding it in you might as well not be inhaling because you are basically wasting the bud. Also there is a little saying you should keep in mind. "Everything is okay in moderation" Too much of anything is bad for you. I wouldnt advise anyone to do it every day.

[Pass That Shit]

I knew a kid a long time ago that used to hold it in until he almost passed out. He had to hold his nose to keep from exhaling. He was going overboard but I got his point. I always hold it in before taking that slow exhale. I agree that it makes a big difference.

By the way, I heard later that the kid died. He was young and I think he died from harder drugs.

[mcweedy]

The more potent cannabis strains require less bud to recieve the desired effect, therefore less smoke is inhaled. Another point I would like to make is that I dont care what any study or report says, if i hold in marijuana smoke for 3 seconds i get high, but if i hold it in for say.....10 seconds, i get tore the fuck up.

Anyways, there is a little saying you should keep in mind about the effects on your health: "Everything is okay if done in moderation" Too much of anything is bad for you. I wouldn't advise anyone to do it daily because then it becomes more than just a hobby, it becomes a ritual which turns into a bad habit. As for vaporizing I just don't think its very traditional. That's just me though. I guess you can call me old fashioned.