Smoking Marijuana and the Lungs

Since marijuana contains cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens) similar to tobacco smoke, your risk for lung cancer may be increased if you smoke marijuana. Also, marijuana users expose their lungs to a larger amount of smoke because they tend to inhale more deeply, smoke without filters, and hold their breath when they inhale. This type of inhalation pattern exposes your lungs to more smoke than a cigarette.

Aspergillus can live on the marijuana plant and be inhaled in the marijuana smoke. It is not recommended that you smoke marijuana if you have cancer, are taking chemotherapy, have had a lung transplant, or have a weak immune system.

Second-hand smoke (inhalation of another person’s marijuana smoke) can cause serious health problems, especially in infants and children or anyone with a chronic lung condition. Second-hand marijuana smoke contains many poisons including cyanide and ammonia.