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Researcher passive smoking of marijuana healthier than with cigarettes
Most people in the world are likely to realize that cigarette smoke is harmful to our bodies. Researchers now found that passive exposure to marijuana smoke also impairs our cardiovascular function. It even seems, so whether these negative cardiovascular effects would last longer.
Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco found in one study that passive smoking of marijuana affects the functions of the blood vessels as much as the passive inhalation of tobacco smoke. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Journal of American Heart Association".
How harmful is the passive smoke of marijuana? This question was now being investigated by American scientists. The results of the study could be surprising for some marijuana consumers and their fellow human beings. (Image: alco81 / fotolia.com) Study investigates what passive smoking of marijuana causes in mice
For a long time it was said that the smoke of marijuana is not as harmful as the smoke of regular cigarettes, say the authors. For this reason, many people assume that it has to behave similarly when it comes to passive smoking of marijuana. However, the experiment on mice refuted this assumption now.
Negative effects of marijuana passivation persist for longer
In the study, test mice were exposed to the smoke of marijuana. The animals inhaled the passive smoke for the short period of one minute. Afterwards, the scientists were able to determine that the inhalation of marijuana smoke reduces the function of the blood vessels. This happens in the same way as with normal cigarette smoke. However, these negative cardiovascular effects last longer in mice exposed to marijuana smoke, the physicians add.
Smoke inhibits the dilation of the blood vessels
Normally our blood vessels can carry more blood when needed by our tissue, explains author Dr. Matthew Springer from the University of California. The vessels then dilate to allow more blood through. But this effect is inhibited by the action of smoke. This hinders blood flow and increases the risk of various heart problems, explains the expert.
Smoke in mice reduces the likelihood of foot-and-mouth disease
The mice were exposed to approximately the equivalent amount of smoke normally found in restaurants where smoking is allowed, say the authors. Surprisingly, researchers also found that mice exposed to cigarettes or marijuana smoke had a 50 percent or less chance of developing so-called foot-and-mouth disease.
Negative effects of marijuana take three times as long as with tobacco
When mice were exposed to tobacco smoke, their cardiovascular system recovered in about 30 minutes. In mice that had inhaled marijuana smoke, this recovery took 90 minutes, say the scientists. So there was a clear difference. For marijuana smoke, the negative effects lasted three times longer than the smoke of regular cigarettes. Of course, there are other negative effects of cigarette smoke. For example, it is known that smoking in women increases the risk of brain hemorrhage and contributes to a significantly increased risk of cancer.
Ultrasound measurement of the femoral artery
The authors of the study used ultrasound technology to analyze the widening of the femoral arteries of the mice. It has not been easy to study the effects of marijuana passivacious smoking, because marijuana is often classified as an illicit substance, the physicians explain. For this reason, the researchers had to obtain some official permits before they could start the study.
There is too little research on the effects of marijuana smoke
The most important reason that many people classify the smoke of marijuana as harmless is the lack of direct evidence of the harmful effects, Dr. Springer. There have been no experiments on this topic and for that reason, people have underestimated how harmful marijuana smoke really is, adds the physician.
Smoke is generally harmful to our health
Finally, we can conclude that inhaling smoke is generally detrimental to our health. "I think people should just avoid inhaling smoke," says the study author. It does not matter whether the smoke is caused by cigarettes, marijuana, forest fires or crickets, adds dr. Add Springer. Smoke should simply not be inhaled, say the experts. So stop smoking, whether you smoke tobacco or marijuana.
If you have trouble quitting smoking, here are some pointers that will help you stop smoking. (As)