Mental Health | Higher rates of Emphysema in Marijuana Smokers

Marijuana smokers were found to have higher rates of emphysema and airway diseases compared to cigarette smokers in a study conducted by researchers from the University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital.

Mental Health Studies | Findings from the study were published in the journal Radiology.

Reviews chest CT scans for 56 marijuana smokers, 57 non-smokers, and 33 tobacco-only smokers from 2005 to 2020 produced the following findings:

75% of marijuana smokers had some form of emphysema compared to 5% of non-smokers and 67% of cigarette smokers
Paraseptal emphysema was more predominant in marijuana smokers (48%) vs. tobacco-only smokers (24%)
38% of marijuana smokers were found to have gynecomastia compared to 16% of non-smokers and 11% of tobacco-only smokers

Rates of bronchial thickening, bronchiectasis, and mucoid impaction each were also higher among marijuana smokers compared to the 2 other groups
“We've identified an association between marijuana smoking and damage to both the small and the large airways,” said Giselle Revah, a radiologist and assistant professor in the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. “We still need more research before we can affect policy change. We need larger, more robust prospective studies with more patients to confirm it.” 

Thomas McLaren, MD, a cardiothoracic radiologist who is an assistant professor of radiology and cardiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told NBC News that “all inhalation is bad for the lungs, whether it is tobacco smoke or marijuana smoke,” and that if individuals choose to use marijuana, “this is absolutely not the best way to do it.”

The researchers who conducted the study noted in their conclusion that their findings may be related to specific inhalation techniques used while smoking marijuana, and that further larger and prospective studies are needed to confirm and further clarify their findings.

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