by Robert M. Traxler
“So far in 2018, more than 48,900 fires have burned more than 7,700,000 acres of land in the United States, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Wildfire smoke is known for its potential to wreak havoc on a person’s health, but the threats aren’t limited to the lungs. The smoky mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees, plants and other materials can also irritate a person’s vision.” — AccuWeather.
The fires in California are indeed horrible; having lived in Northern California for many years in my youth I can easily identify with the peoples’ suffering. This column will not deal with the political argument around the fires, as Ranger Rick has done that, but the warnings around the smoke and the dangers of smoke inhalation.
“Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic materials burn. The biggest health threat from smoke is from fine particles. These microscopic particles can penetrate deep into your lungs. They can cause a range of health problems, from burning eyes and a runny nose to aggravated chronic heart and lung diseases. Exposure to particle pollution is even linked to premature death.” — AirNow.
OK, we now know tobacco smoke is deadly, burning forests and brush smoke is deadly, but cannabis smoke is good for you? Folks, you cannot make this stuff up. A friend who is a tireless advocate for cannabis has maintained smoking marijuana has medical benefits and it is indeed good for you; he firmly believes this and will not be persuaded to change his opinion, and he has that right.
A belief system is an interesting thing; folks believe what they want to, and most are not willing to change. The reason the 18 to 34 demographic is so important to people who sell things is that younger folks are not entrenched in brand loyalty; younger folks will be open to new things. An older American who grew up with marijuana and was a tireless advocate for its legality will never change the opinion, in my mind incorrect, that inhaling burning vegetable matter smoke is good for you.
An argument concerning the inhalation of cannabis smoke and its dangers will quickly be deflected to the argument that you don’t have to burn it to get high, you can ingest it, and you can. You can chew tobacco, grind it into a fine powder and sniff it, some societys even boil it and drink it, but time has proven it is bad for you in every form. Of all the people whom I have known who used tobacco, very few used snuffs or chewed. Marijuana is no different; smoking is the preferred drug delivery system by far.
A reasonable and prudent person with an open mind will agree inhaling burning vegetable matter is bad for you, any burning vegetable matter. The argument is always that marijuana is not as bad as alcohol. That has not been proven, and it may not be; however, it is like saying being bitten by a timber rattlesnake is not as bad as being bitten by a king cobra, so don’t concern yourself with a rattlesnake bite. People who advocate for cannabis will never be mugged by the reality that inhaling smoke, all smoke, is harmful to your general health.
Smoking dope is now legal here; I do not agree. Adding yet one more legal intoxicant to our society is a not good idea. However the capitalist in me says that if the people want to use a chemical that is bad for them and voted to make it legal, then it is time to make a buck out of it. Legalization was sold to us as a way to tax the drug and solve many of our problems.
The state laws on who, how and where folks can, grow, process, test, inspect and package the drugs are not yet firm; let’s hope the socialist left who hate capitalism will allow cannabis to be sold and produced in a manner that fulfills their pledge to tax and receive a financial benefit from weed as we do with alcohol.
Will the anti-capitalist socialist democrats be true to their word? We will see.
Army Bob
A very excellent article about smoke being very unhealthy. Which makes it very hard to debate.
I only ask this…currently our air is polluted worse in some areas than others. Many places we have now found water that we should of not been drinking. Our food both plant and meat has been infused with chemicals, many have been exposed to chemicals at work and war,
So how much more danger could smoking marijuana be to us ??
Please do not use increased vehicle accidents as an answer. For we know substance abuse. prescribed meds. age,etc all contributes to a accidents.
.I doubt there will be a constant cloud of marijuana smoke hovering over the Country. It seems most humans feel they have the right to control what they do with their body. There have been marches and protests telling the government to stay out of their decisions where their body is concerned.
If as you surmise their is a political group that will stop the production and usage of marijuana…..would they not be hypocrites since they seem to support only a person can control what happens to their body??
Smoking is harmful to one’s health. There are other ways to get the active weed into one’s system. A friend of a friend was dying of ALS. He found some relief by using marijuana. He obtained a vaporizing system which allowed him use the drug that way. I’m not say it was harmless, although at that stage of the game it hardly mattered. It was easier on him than drawing smoke into his lungs, and it effectively delivered the drug. The man didn’t survive very long, but he had some relief. A search of the internet provides a wealth of information on marijuana vaporizers.
Mr. Basura,
Thank you for the comment,
“Combusting marijuana not only wastes many of the most important medicinal compounds, but it also exposes you to possible carcinogens. Although lighting up marijuana is not as dangerous as smoking tobacco cigarettes, there are still dangers. Vaping is not 100% pure either, but from a health standpoint, the available data leans decisively in its direction.” MarijuanaBreak
I admit to ignorance when it comes to judging the types of highs from smoking vs other drug delivery methods. As e-cigarettes are better for you than burning tobacco, common sense would tell you vaping marijuana is not as harmful. We have just begun to look into the long term health risks. The rub appears to be the intensity and length of the high, the bang for the buck in vaping compared to inhaling the drug.
Just a couple of comments. Now that marijuana has reached legal recreational status in several states there is sure to be a huge bubble of purchase and use of it because of the novelty. With time the initial usage numbers may have a tendency to go down. Time will tell, if we keep statistics.
We have not had the easy option of ingestible pot until now, so such use has not been tracked for quantity of use or effectiveness for relief of chronic pain for people with symptoms that might not qualify them for a medical marijuana card.
I don’t disagree that smoking anything – cigarettes, forests, pot – is harmful to lung health. We simply don’t have enough of a track record on other uses.
How about we wait and see before we condemn this newly legal drug.
Ms. Mandaville,
Lynn,
Thank you for the comment.
Medical use has always been a bit of a ruse, you are correct the legal use is new and the testing and hopefully quality control may improve some of the bad health effects. The American Hart and Lung Associations, warn against the use and have for over a decade, especially around pregnant women, and older folks with hart and lung problems.
Six inches of snow to be shoveled this morning, be glad you are in the beautiful American South West.