Is Smoking Pot Better than Cigarettes?
Despite the technological advancements that we have made as a
species, this question still continues to raise debate among the
defenders of marijuana smoking; and to some extent this is simply
because this question has no conclusive answer. However, there are
various facts that one should consider in looking for answers
surrounding marijuana usage (also referred to as pot, weed, cannabis,
hemp, reefer etc).
For starters, the damage that smoking pot can cause would primarily
depend on the amount of pot that you smoke. Whereas a regular cigarette
smoker may smoke up to 20 cigarettes a day (or more), a habitual pot
smoker may rarely smoke that much pot. Also, while cigarettes contain a
variety of chemicals apart from the tobacco, pot is generally additive
free (especially if home grown).
On the other hand, while there are strict regulations that govern the
cigarette industry, there are no such regulations in place when it comes
to marijuana production and distribution. This does contribute to a
great degree of variability in dosage of each smoke.
Smoking pot may also lead to other more direct health and safety issues
as unlike cigarettes, smoking pot affects your senses to a considerable
extent, resulting in you feeling ‘stoned’. In this state of mind, you
could have problems while taking part in activities that require any
amount of concentration. Also, over time, you may experience an
increased tolerance for the ‘stoned’ effects of pot smoking and this may
lead to an increase in consumption.
Another perspective lies in the claimed beneficial properties associated
with marijuana usage. Smoking pot is said to help prevent Alzheimer’s
disease, and is also used to help patients suffering from conditions
such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, opiate dependency,
epilepsy, etc. This, of course, is in places where smoking pot is
permissible by law.
So whether smoking pot is better than smoking cigarettes with tobacco
can depend on how much you smoke, and perhaps why you smoke. But the key
point is that smoking pot and smoking regular cigarettes both have
significant health implications, and may be the equivalent of asking
whether its better to be run down by a bus or a car. |
