Smoking Pot, Cigarettes Ups COPD Risk

Research done in Vancouver has demonstrated an increased risk of COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, for those who smoke both marijuana and tobacco. However no link could be found between COPD and marijuana alone.

COPD is a very serious disease, and ranks #6 on the list of causes of death worldwide (4th in the US). According to Wikipedia COPD is actually a group of lung diseases in which the airways are narrowed leading to a limitation of airflow.

This particular study found that:

• The incidence of COPD among participants who smoked cigarettes alone was 2.7 times higher than among nonsmokers.
• The incidence of COPD was 2.9 times higher among participants with a history of smoking both cigarettes and pot, even after controlling for other risk factors for the pulmonary disease.
• COPD risk among people who smoked marijuana, but not tobacco, was slightly higher than among nonsmokers, but the increase was not statistically significant.

Smoking Pot, Cigarettes Ups COPD Risk