Pot better on lungs than tobacco

A recent study led by the University of California, San Francisco indicates smoking marijuana is not as harmful to lung function as smoking cigarettes.

The study, published Jan. 10 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that regular marijuana users—those who smoked one or two joints a week—did not experience a reduction of lung capacity. Only the heaviest tokers, who smoked 20 or more joints a month, showed evidence of damage to their pulmonary systems. The study’s authors noted it is rare for a pot user to smoke as often as someone who smokes cigarettes, which they cite as an important factor. They also insisted they still “have an issue with marijuana, at least in terms of dependence on it.”

The study monitored 5,115 men and women over 20 years as part of a clinical trial meant to focus on heart disease in young adults.