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Smoking Cannabis May Lead to Lung Cancer

April 13, 2020 , ,

The association between marijuana smoking and lung cancer

In Summary

More than a decade ago a systematic review determined that the plausibility of developing lung cancer from smoking cannabis. After filtering through the appropriate research 19 manuscripts were analyzed during the review with the majority of the manuscripts concluding that smoking cannabis is likely to result in the development of premalignant lung changes and lung cancer. It is suggested that physicians who recommend cannabis also advise their patients about the carcinogens in cannabis smoke and the possibility of developing lung cancer, although the author calls for more rigorous studies to validate these suggestions. 

The risk of lung cancer emphasizes the importance of discussing which method of consumption is appropriate for their needs. Patients should discuss cannabis use with their physicians and should be careful to mind which cannabinoids they aim to use and the method of consumption as both those factors can greatly affect the potency and perceived effects. Topicals are generally non-psychoactive even when they contain THC; vapor is much more efficient than smoking and contains fair less harmful products due to the heating method; edibles and tinctures are two methods of consumption that provide very different effects and can be tailored to each individual. Consume cannabis responsibly and continue reading blogs like this one or other well-researched articles to remain fully aware of current findings.

The study is available for review or download here

The-Association-Between-Marijuana-Smoking-and-Lung-CancerDownload

View more studies like this in the CED Foundation Archive 

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Benjamin Caplan, MDSmoking Cannabis May Lead to Lung Cancer
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The Respiratory Effects of Smoking Cannabis

March 30, 2020 ,

A Systematic Review of the Respiratory Effects of Inhalational Marijuana

In Summary

A recent meta-analysis has compiled a list of all known effects of smoking medical cannabis. Smoke is produced when medical cannabis is combusted by a flame, like when users smoke a bowl of flower products. Although fewer carcinogens were found in the smoke produced from cannabis than the smoke produced from cigarettes, those who choose to smoke medical cannabis still put themselves at great risk of developing lung cancer, spontaneous pneumothorax, bullous emphysema, and COPD. The medical benefits like bronchodilation, pain relief, and uplifting feelings are still able to take effect but patients considering smoking cannabis should be made aware of the risks associated with the inhalation of smoke. Other consumption methods such as vaporization, edibles, or topicals pose much less of a health risk to users. 

This article highlights the importance of choosing an appropriate consumption method depending on your ailment. Those suffering from lung cancer or COPD may be less inclined to vaporize their marijuana because of the lung strain, or more inclined to vaporize marijuana to replace a possible cigarette habit. Vaporization occurs at a much lower temperature than combustion, which requires a flame, which provides more efficient delivery of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids present in a flower product. Each cannabinoid has a specific vaporization temperature that optimizes the benefits of that cannabinoid and many vaporizers have been designed with the ability to heat up to specific temperatures so that patients can get the most out of their product. Users should discuss the best options for their ailment with their physicians and budtenders.

The study is available for review or download here

A-Systematic-Review-of-the-Respiratory-Effects-of-Inhalational-MarijuanaDownload

View more studies like this in the CED Foundation Archive 

To explore related information, click the keywords below:

Benjamin Caplan, MDThe Respiratory Effects of Smoking Cannabis
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Utilizing Cannabis to Quit Smoking

March 24, 2020 , ,

Randomized Clinical Trials Investigating Innovative Interventions for Smoking Cessation in the Last Decade

In Summary

A recent analysis has found that cannabis-based therapies may prove useful for those attempting to quit smoking. Billions of dollars are spent every year attempting to treat smoking-related conditions yet mortality rates continue to rise, proving the current treatment methods rather ineffective. Researchers thoroughly examined previous clinical studies in a search for more effective treatments and found that the endocannabinoid system provides an ideal target as it not only reduces the desire to smoke but also minimizes the weight gain most addicts fear. Further research is needed as no specific cannabinoid or cannabis-based medicine has proven to be effective without producing negative side-effects, but the few trials that have been conducted have shown promising results. 

The issue this research aimed to address is the prevalence of smoking-related illnesses, highlighting the inability of the medical community to cease all tobacco use. Despite constant warnings and lessons in school concerning the danger of tobacco use new products like e-cigarettes have been made readily available for consumers and marketed on social media to teenagers who follow celebrities like Sophie Turner, an actress rarely seen without her choice of e-cigarette in hand. The tobacco industry is driven by the economy and, despite its proven deleterious effects on users’ health, has yet to be banned on a federal level. Better restrictions need to be put into place to prevent consumers from beginning tobacco use while researchers continue to look for effective treatment methods. 

The study is available for review or download here

Randomized-Clinical-Trials-Investigating-Innovative-Interventions-for-Smoking-Cessation-in-the-Last-DecadeDownload

View more studies like this in the CED Foundation Archive 

To explore related information, click the keywords below:

Benjamin Caplan, MDUtilizing Cannabis to Quit Smoking
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Could Inhaled Cannabis Be More Effective to Relieve Pain than Oral Cannabinoids?

October 4, 2019 , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cannabis for Chronic Pain: Challenges and Considerations

In Summary:

Comparisons between the use of inhaled cannabis plant versus pharmaceutical-grade oral cannabinoids demonstrate an advantage of inhalation over oral delivery. Conditions for which inhalation has provided superior over oral consumption include:

HIV, diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, complex regional pain syndrome, spinal cord injury, traumatic neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis, and cervical disk disease.

An important note: patients consuming cannabinoids orally are more likely to withdraw from studies due to negative side effects and lack of efficacy. Also, edible cannabis may compete, amplify, or have effects delayed, when interacting with other ingested foods and drinks, A major advantage of inhalation is the opportunity for patients to titrate, or easily test varying dosages at home, with reasonably rapid feedback. On the other hand, dosage adjustments for oral food-borne cannabinoids are much more complex, and cannabis in the form of oral pharmaceutical-products may require a doctor visit and a new prescription.

Dr. Caplan and the #MDTake:

In the clinic, there seems to be a great divide in the population, a group of patients who simply adore the edibles (often in low-dose candies, low-dose chocolate, or titrated tinctures), and a group who use inhalation, almost exclusively. There are also some who are discovering topicals (salves, patches, lotions). There is a growing number of patients who use each of these methods with intention, related to their timing of onset and their duration of action, but this requires education, practice, and a degree of sophistication in use that is relatively new to the industry.

As with most consumption, medicinal or not, it seems common for individuals to find a method that they enjoy and stick to it. Interestingly, in recent years, the US cannabis industry has evolved in a wild growth phase. As it has embraced a dynamic landscape, with increasing competition from all sides, including new stores and product offerings popping up all the time, there seems to be a growing openness, in consumers, to trying new products and exploring new offerings. Coincidentally, this openness to change and the unfamiliar happens to mirror one of the core neurobiological functions of cannabis in the brain, as seen across the neuropsychiatric and neuroimaging cannabis literature.

How exciting to imagine a future medicine that may help consumers to be more open to change?

View this review (yellow link) or download:

Cannabis for Chronic Pain: Challenges and ConsiderationsDownload

This paper is also stored here:    http://bit.ly/2OmdM0S     inside the CED Foundation Archive

To explore related information, click the keywords below:


Benjamin Caplan, MDCould Inhaled Cannabis Be More Effective to Relieve Pain than Oral Cannabinoids?
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Multiple Health Risk Behaviors in Young Adult Smokers: Stages of Change and Stability over Time

June 11, 2019 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Study finds that most young adult smokers engage in multiple other health risk behaviors. When placed in an intervention, participants were most ready to change their stress management and least ready to change their cannabis use.

View this review (yellow link) or download:

Multiple Health Risk Behaviors in Young Adult Smokers- Stages of Change and Stability over TimeDownload

This paper is also stored here:  http://bit.ly/31mTqIM       inside the CED Foundation Archive

To explore related information, click keywords:

Benjamin Caplan, MDMultiple Health Risk Behaviors in Young Adult Smokers: Stages of Change and Stability over Time
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