Cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic

Harm Reduction Journal

Robert Melamede¹ 

[1] Biology Department, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, 80918, USA

关键词: nicotine;    carcinogens;    cannabinoids;    smoke;    cancer;    tobacco;    marijuana;   

Others  :  821548
DOI  :  10.1186/1477-7517-2-21

 received in 2004-11-30, accepted in 2005-10-18,  发布年份 2005

【 摘 要 】

More people are using the cannabis plant as modern basic and clinical science reaffirms and extends its medicinal uses. Concomitantly, concern and opposition to smoked medicine has occurred, in part due to the known carcinogenic consequences of smoking tobacco. Are these reactions justified? While chemically very similar, there are fundamental differences in the pharmacological properties between cannabis and tobacco smoke. Cannabis smoke contains cannabinoids whereas tobacco smoke contains nicotine. Available scientific data, that examines the carcinogenic properties of inhaling smoke and its biological consequences, suggests reasons why tobacco smoke, but not cannabis smoke, may result in lung cancer.

【 授权许可】

   
2005 Melamede; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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