Cannabis use has become much more common in recent years, especially as more countries and states relax laws around marijuana.
Many people believe cannabis is safer than tobacco cigarettes, especially when it is used for stress relief, pain, sleep problems, or recreation. However, a growing number of studies are raising concerns about the effects of cannabis on lung health.
Now, a large new study has found that people who inhale cannabis every day may face a much higher risk of developing asthma and other serious lung problems. The findings suggest that regular cannabis smoking or vaping may not be as harmless as many people think.
The research was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco analyzed health data from nearly 380,000 adults in the United States.
The information came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a large national health survey run by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The researchers focused on adults between the ages of 18 and 74. They studied people who inhaled cannabis through smoking, vaping, or “dabbing,” which involves breathing in vapor from concentrated cannabis products. People who mainly used cannabis through food or drinks were not included in the analysis.
The results showed a clear pattern. The more often people inhaled cannabis, the greater their risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD. COPD is a long-term lung disease that makes breathing difficult and includes conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
The study found that daily cannabis use was linked to a 44% higher chance of asthma compared with people who did not use cannabis. Daily use was also linked to a 27% higher risk of COPD.
The researchers also looked specifically at people who had never smoked tobacco cigarettes in their lives. Even in this group, daily cannabis use was still strongly linked to asthma. These people had about a 51% higher risk of asthma compared with non-users.
This finding is important because some people assume lung damage from cannabis only happens because many cannabis users also smoke cigarettes. However, the new study suggests that inhaling cannabis itself may harm the lungs, even without tobacco use.
Researchers explained that cannabis smoke contains thousands of chemicals, many of which are also found in tobacco smoke. When smoke enters the lungs, it can irritate and inflame the airways. Over time, repeated irritation may damage lung tissue and make breathing problems more likely.
Scientists have already found that cannabis smoking can cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, mucus production, and shortness of breath. Some studies have also linked cannabis use to airway narrowing and chronic bronchitis symptoms.
The researchers noticed that the risk increased as cannabis use became more frequent. This type of pattern is often considered an important warning sign in medical research because it suggests the relationship may not be accidental.
Dr. Alison Rustagi, one of the lead researchers from UCSF, said many people clearly understand the dangers of tobacco smoking, but the risks of cannabis inhalation are less widely discussed.
She explained that people who want to reduce their chances of developing chronic lung disease should avoid starting cannabis smoking or vaping. For people who already use cannabis, using it less often may help lower risk.
The study comes at a time when cannabis use is rapidly increasing across the United States and other countries. Public attitudes have also changed significantly over the past decade. Many people now view cannabis as natural or safer than cigarettes.
However, researchers say “natural” does not always mean safe, especially when substances are inhaled into the lungs regularly.
Asthma is already one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. It can cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and breathing difficulty. Severe asthma attacks can sometimes become life-threatening and require emergency treatment. Avoiding triggers that irritate the lungs is an important part of asthma management.
The researchers stressed that more studies are still needed to fully understand the long-term effects of cannabis inhalation. This study cannot prove that cannabis directly causes asthma or COPD, but it does show a strong association between frequent inhaled cannabis use and lung disease.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that smoking or vaping cannabis may carry important health risks. Doctors may need to ask patients more often about cannabis use when evaluating breathing problems or chronic cough symptoms.
As cannabis becomes more widely accepted and legalized, researchers believe public awareness about its possible harms should also increase. People may need clearer information about how regular cannabis inhalation can affect the lungs over time.
In summary, the new study suggests that daily inhaled cannabis use is strongly linked to a higher risk of asthma and other breathing diseases, even among people who have never smoked cigarettes.
The findings remind people that inhaling smoke or vapor into the lungs on a regular basis may have serious long-term health consequences.
If you care about cannabis, please read studies that what you need to know about cannabis and heart attack, and CBD from cannabis may help inhibit COVID-19 infection.
For more information about cannabis, please see recent studies that medical cannabis could help reduce depression, and results showing this stuff in cannabis may protect aging brain, treat Alzheimer’s.
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