As more states across the United States allow people to use cannabis for medical or recreational purposes, many people have started to believe that smoking cannabis is much safer than smoking cigarettes.
A new study suggests that this belief is becoming more common, even though scientists say the evidence does not support such a simple conclusion. The research was published in JAMA Network Open.
Smoking tobacco has long been known to increase the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and many other serious health problems. Years of research and public health campaigns have helped people understand these dangers.
Cannabis has not been studied for as long because strict federal laws limited research for many years, leaving many important questions unanswered.
In the new study, researchers found that public opinion is changing quickly. More than 44% of adults now believe that smoking cannabis every day is less harmful than smoking cigarettes every day. In 2017, only 37% of adults held this view, showing that this belief has become much more common in just a few years.
The study also found that more people believe breathing in secondhand cannabis smoke is safer than breathing in secondhand tobacco smoke. That belief increased from 35% to 40% over the same period. Experts say these changing opinions may influence how people choose to use cannabis.
Dr. Beth Cohen from the University of California, San Francisco, says people should be careful about assuming cannabis smoke is harmless. Both cannabis and tobacco smoke contain harmful chemicals, including toxins and substances that can cause cancer. She explains that burning any plant material creates smoke that can irritate and damage the lungs when it is breathed in regularly.
The researchers believe several factors may explain why public opinion has changed. Cannabis is becoming legal in more places, while tobacco products face increasing restrictions and warning labels. Some people may also connect cannabis with possible medical benefits, such as pain relief or reduced anxiety, and mistakenly believe this means smoking it is safe.
The study found that younger adults between 18 and 29 years old were more likely than older adults to believe cannabis smoke is safer than tobacco smoke. People over 60 were much less likely to share this opinion. Other factors, including employment and marital status, were also linked with people’s views.
Dr. Albert Rizzo from the American Lung Association says legality should never be confused with safety. He warns that breathing smoke of any kind can cause inflammation and may damage the lungs over time. Scientists also point out that it took decades to fully understand the long-term dangers of cigarettes, so it may take many more years before the full health effects of smoking cannabis are known.
Researchers say more studies are needed to better understand the health effects of cannabis smoke. Early evidence, including animal research, suggests that cannabis smoke may affect the heart, blood vessels, and lungs in ways that deserve careful attention.
The researchers believe people should receive clear and accurate health information so they can make informed decisions as cannabis becomes more widely available.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
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