Secondhand marijuana smoke may damage blood vessels as much as tobacco smoke

Discussion in 'Marijuana News' started by The Grasscity Post, Nov 17, 2014.

  1. Breathing secondhand marijuana smoke could damage your heart and blood vessels as much as secondhand cigarette smoke, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
     
    In the study, blood vessel function in lab rats dropped 70 percent after 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke. Even when the marijuana contained no tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- a compound in marijuana that produces intoxication -- blood vessel function was still impaired.
     
    Reduced blood vessel function may raise the chances of developing atherosclerosis and could lead to a heart attack. Atherosclerosis is the disease process that causes plaque build-up in the arteries which narrows them and restricts blood flow.
     
    "Most people know secondhand cigarette smoke is bad for you, but many don't realize that secondhand marijuana smoke may also be harmful," said Matthew Springer, Ph.D., senior author of the study and cardiovascular researcher and associate professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco's Cardiology Division.
     
    Marijuana and tobacco smoke are chemically and physically alike, aside from their active ingredients.
    The drop in blood vessel function from THC-free marijuana suggests that the compound isn't responsible for the effect. Similarly, this study confirms that nicotine is not required for smoke to interfere with blood vessel function.
    In the study, researchers used a modified cigarette smoking machine to expose rats to marijuana smoke. A high-resolution ultrasound machine measured how well the main leg artery functioned. Researchers recorded blood vessel dilation before smoke exposure and 10 minutes and 40 minutes after smoke exposure.
     
    They also conducted separate tests with THC-free marijuana and plain air. There was no difference in blood vessel function when the rats were exposed to plain air.
     
    In previous tobacco studies, blood vessel function tended to go back to normal within 30 minutes of exposure. However, in the marijuana study, blood vessel function didn't return to normal when measured 40 minutes after exposure.
     
    Now that marijuana is becoming increasingly legalized in the United States, its effect on others is a growing public health concern, Springer said.
     
    "If you're hanging out in a room where people are smoking a lot of marijuana, you may be harming your blood vessels," he said. "There's no reason to think marijuana smoke is better than tobacco smoke. Avoid them both."
    Secondhand tobacco smoke causes about 34,000 premature deaths from heart disease each year in the United States among nonsmokers according to the U.S. Surgeon General's 2014 report on the consequences of smoking.
     
    More research is needed to determine if secondhand marijuana smoke has other similar effects to secondhand cigarette smoke in humans.

     

     
  2. Vaporize!!!   seriously though the healthy protective cannabinoids when inhaled in the smoke dissipate quickly and the user only benefits from them at the point of entry and exit. once the smoke is exhaled all the nasties stay stuck in the air until they stick to the surfaces of the room or in the lungs of others. burn any plant and breathe the after remains and you will get the same results
     
  3. Yes, yes, King of the obvious..burning plant material should never be inhaled...bad for you....smoke from ANY source....Vape it, job done...no worries there Chief.
     
  4. The cynical suspicious side of me looks at posts like this..ones done by the site itself that are basically side swipes at Marijuana/Cannabis use and wonders if places like this aren't set up and run by authorities secretly using these sites to gather information about the users and growers (especially) OR, are attempting to obliquely market overpriced merchandise like Vaporizers/vape pens by showing not making the purchase is bad for your health. But the rational side of me says "they post these things to warn us of marijuana danger because it is what it is and theres never an excuse to hide from reality".....though I remember the same "concerns" regarding marijuana use and schizophrenia which has been shown to be non related or non causal at least.
     
  5. studies have shown that the protective properties in the cannabinoids help negate the negative health effects while smoking cannabis. but the compounds half a short half life once exposed to the elements and dissipate very quickly once submitted to heat/fire for the extraction purposes. 5 seconds is about the life span after inhaling from a joint, the cannabinoid has absorbed by then either into your airways or into the air itself. I'm sure some of the cannabinoids stick to the smoke itself and stay with the smoke but not in near enough capacity to help negate the smoldering/suffering effects of smoke/tar nasties.
     
  6. I was directing my ire and suspicions at the original poster, not you dude...lol..but you made some great points anyway.
     
  7. #7 enjoyandlive, Nov 17, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 17, 2014
    So, logically, why wouldnt directly pulling from a joint and inhaling/exhaling damage blood vessels? What makes second hand different? bullshit study :confused_2:
     
  8. My thoughts exactly. I don't use a cotton filter, so technically it's all secondhand?
     
  9. #9 enjoyandlive, Nov 17, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 17, 2014
    yeah ok, damn reefer madness paid doctor dickheads. Thc free marijuana smoke??? wtf? second hand smoke from a joint does contain THC. why the hell test without
     
  10. #10 enjoyandlive, Nov 17, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 17, 2014
    the whole study is just misconducted. thats a lot of people to die of tobacco secondhand smoke. and how many deaths from cannabis second hand smoke? it's just outrageous for them to basically claim there is no difference between the two
     
  11. My concern isnt so much with bogus stories based on bogus science...my beef is with THIS SITE posting the article as fact...weird if you AXE me.
     
  12. Without THC...so then what makes it so special?
    So what this study is telling us is ANY smoke from ANY source will damage blood vessels.
    Good job.
     
  13. i think the auto poster just takes articles with the word "marijuana" in them and post.
     
  14. That would make sense...ease my cynical mind a bit if it were true.
     
  15. I think that is the point of the study. A lot of people think if they smoke mj they will not get cancer ever. lol
     
    I could also see tobaccoo companies taking advantage of studies like these to say that it isn't just tobacco its anything smoked/inhaled.
     
  16. I could see that, as well.
    Too bad they wouldn't add anything about the 1000s of chemicals they put in the cigs :p
     
  17. And the tobacco comp[anie might have a point if not for one little fact : Tobacco is more addictive than Heroin.
     
  18. Not so much the tabaccoo though as the formulas in the end product.
     
  19. Yeah, they had all sorts of chemical additives in those cigarettes for decades...all designed to addict you more..nicotine delivery systems they called it......
     
  20. The real question is how are they exposing the lab rats to the smoke?
     

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