Vaporizing Cannabis.

2009.05.05

Vaporization is a technique for avoiding respiratory toxins in marijuana smoke by heating cannabis to a temperature where the psychoactive ingredients evaporate without causing combustion.

Laboratory studies have shown vaporizers can efficiently deliver cannabinoids while eliminating or reducing immensely other smoke toxins.

Smoke from marijuana contains many of the familiar bad things found in tobacco smoke. Most people do not smoke the same amount of marijuana that a cigarette smoker would of tobacco, so the total amount of smoke ingested in a day is significantly less with marijuana. However, the inhalation of tar and other compounds is associated with more cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, etc.

There are 2 conflicting studies about the smoking of cannabis, one done at UCLA, the other at John Hopkins in Baltimore. One study does show an increase in head and neck cancer risk from smoking marijuana, while the other shows no increased risk at all. A recent study by Dr. Tashkin at UCLA concluded that there is no increase in lung cancer risk from exclusively smoking marijuana. Because of the uncertainty of the safety of smoking cannabis at this time, some use a vaporizer in hopes of avoiding exposure to the harmful tars and toxins emitted by regular smoking.

The vaporizing method was invented in 1996 and requires no flame or combustion thereby avoiding some of the carbon combustion that produces tar and smoke. Proponents of marijuana devised a method by which the cannabis plant can be heated to a temperature lower than that required for combustion but not enough to change the beneficial chemicals from a solid to a gas. There was a study done by Dale Gieringer in which he analyzed the smoke from a joint in comparison to the gases released by the vaporizer. He found that the vapors released by the vaporizer contain only about 5 different compounds with THC being the most abundant. The joint contains approximately 111 compounds, with various tars and toxins being at the top of the list. The vaporizer allows the inhalation of vapor that, per his account, has neither the harmful hydroflourocarbons nor the tar that is produced as part of the smoke with the burning of plant cellulose. If this is true, it means that the lungs are not being exposed to the same tar or carcinogens and the patient’s risk of developing any long term lung problems are probably greatly reduced. Keep in mind that the vaporizers on the market currently are not specifically tested as to their efficacy in reducing tar emissions so one needs to exercise caution while evaluating them.

Smoke of any kind suppresses the natural defense system of the lungs. The airways of the lung are lined with tissue that has microscopic cilia, or little fingerlike extensions that ‘wave’ upwards from the lungs to the mouth and nose. The purpose is to push mucus filled with foreign toxins back up and out of the lungs to the mouth and nose where they can be swallowed or sneezed out. These cilia stop working with any kind of smoking, which means that the toxins (or organisms) trapped in the mucus have no way of escaping the lung. This means that, bottom line; smokers are at higher risk of chronic lung conditions, infections, and cancer. There are 2 conflicting studies about the smoking of cannabis, one done at UCLA, the other at John Hopkins in Baltimore. One study does show an increase in head and neck cancer risk from smoking marijuana, while the other shows no increased risk at all. A recent study by Dr. Tashkin at UCLA concluded that there is no increase in lung cancer risk from exclusively smoking marijuana. Because of the uncertainty of the safety of smoking cannabis at this time, some use a vaporizer in hopes of avoiding exposure to the harmful tars and toxins emitted by regular smoking.

The vaporizing method was invented in 1996 and requires no flame or combustion thereby avoiding some of the carbon combustion that produces tar and smoke.

Proponents of marijuana devised a method by which the cannabis plant can be heated to a temperature lower than that required for combustion but not enough to change the beneficial chemicals from a solid to a gas. There was a study done by Dale Gieringer in which he analyzed the smoke from a joint in comparison to the gases released by the vaporizer. He found that the vapors released by the vaporizer contain only about 5 different compounds with THC being the most abundant. The joint contains approximately 111 compounds, with various tars and toxins being at the top of the list. The vaporizer allows the inhalation of vapor that, per his account, has neither the harmful hydroflourocarbons nor the tar that is produced as part of the smoke with the burning of plant cellulose. If this is true, it means that the lungs are not being exposed to the same tar or carcinogens and the patient’s risk of developing any long term lung problems are probably greatly reduced. Keep in mind that the vaporizers on the market currently are not specifically tested as to their efficacy in reducing tar emissions so one needs to exercise caution while evaluating them.