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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis Joint 'Causes the Same Lung Damage As Five Cigarettes' Damien Henderson The Herald Tuesday 31 Jul 2007 chain-smoking up to five cigarettes, a new study has found. Airflow obstruction from taking the drug is thought to be exacerbated by no filter, and the tendency among cannabis smokers to inhale more deeply and hold the smoke in for longer. The study of 339 adults up to the age of 70 found cannabis smokers complained of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and phlegm, and the effects of one joint is equivalent to smoking between 2.5 and five cigarettes in a row. The results are due to be published in the medical journal Thorax. However, the researchers, including Professor Richard Beasley from the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, found people who smoked cannabis without tobacco did not suffer from emphysema - a serious lung disease. The 339 volunteers were divided into four groups: cannabis only (75 people); combined cannabis and tobacco (91); tobacco only (92) and non-smokers of either substance (81). Cannabis smokers were included if they had taken at least one joint a day for five years, while tobacco smokers were involved if they had taken the equivalent of 20 cigarettes per day for 12 months. All the volunteers had high-definition X-rays of their lungs and took part in breathing tests to assess their lung function. They were also asked about their smoking habits. The experts noted that the drug diminishes the numbers of small, fine airways that transport oxygen and waste products to and from blood vessels. Cannabis is also linked to damage in the large airways of the lung, blocking airflow and forcing lungs to work harder. The extent of this damage was directly related to the number of joints smoked, with higher consumption linked to greater incapacity, said the researchers. They concluded: "The most important finding was that one joint of cannabis was similar to 2.5 to five tobacco cigarettes in terms of causing airflow obstruction. "This dose equivalence is consistent with the reported three to fivefold greater levels of carboxyhaemoglobin (a marker of carbon monoxide exposure) and tar inhaled when smoking a cannabis joint compared with a tobacco cigarette of the same size. "This pattern is likely to relate to the different characteristics of the cannabis joint and the way in which it is smoked. Cannabis is usually smoked without a filter and to a shorter butt length, and the smoke is a higher temperature. Furthermore, cannabis smokers inhale more deeply (and) hold their breath for longer." The findings follow research published last week which showed cannabis could more than double the risk of illnesses such as schizophrenia. Researchers found any use of cannabis, even taking the drug just once, was associated with a 41% greater risk. Campaigners have renewed calls for the government to reverse its decision to downgrade cannabis to a class C drug.
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