Cannabis smoking three seals equivalent to a pack of cigarettes in terms of toxicity

Cannabis smoke contains seven times more tar and carbon monoxide (CO) than tobacco, according to the smoking machine tests conducted by the magazine "60 million consumers" in collaboration with the Interministerial Mission fight against drugs and drug addiction (Mildt).

According to the results published in the edition of the monthly published by the National Consumer Institute (INC), "smoke seals every three days (...) poses the same risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease than smoking a pack cigarette ".

In continuity tests he performed on tobacco since 1999, "60 million consumers" wanted to give "fair information" to cannabis users have a "benevolent picture" (...) soft drug " to enable them to "evaluate the risks they take," wrote Executive Director, Marie-Jeanne Husset in the editorial.

These tests were carried out in collaboration with the Mildt that allowed the magazine to obtain from the forensic laboratory in Lyon, all authorizations to carry and hold the herb and cannabis resin needed for testing, is it indicated.

Their goal was to measure the nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, benzene and toluene in the inhaled smoke different joints cannabis (grass + tobacco + tobacco resin, pure grass) compared to tobacco.

The smoking machine was set according to parameters set by the international standard ISO for a first series of tests and according to "more representative of actual conditions of smokers" for the second parameter. Two types of filters were tested, and those cardboard those called "Moroccan", consisting of a section of cigarette.

The results show that the two types of joints containing tobacco are more harmful than tobacco alone. For a cigarette with a filter box, there is a nicotine content of 2.95 mg in a joint grass + tobacco, 3.43 mg in a resin seal + tobacco (no nicotine in the gasket grass alone) against 1.86 mg in tobacco alone.

Tar, the levels are 103 mg and 108 mg for grass and resin associated with tobacco, 86 mg for the grass alone, against 28 mg of tobacco alone.

For CO, levels were respectively 228 mg, 212 mg and 176 mg, against 21.9 mg.

Seal resin and tobacco is inhaled twice as benzene and toluene three times more than a tobacco cigarette.

Tobacco filter retains more tar in the filter box but has no effect on the OC.

These tests show that advanced by cannabis, even regular, they smoke less often than regular tobacco smokers "do not hold" argument, says 60 million consumers, noting that cannabis is the substance illicit psychoactive most consumed in France.

Asked to respond, Professor Bertrand Dautzenberg the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris (AP-HP), very involved in tobacco control pulmonologist, said that "like all products that burn and burn, smoke Cigarettes are highly polluting and toxic "especially as" cannabis smokers say they aspire more deeply on the joint and hold their breath. "

, He says "adults only smoke grass and with severe respiratory diseases (emphysema, severe chronic bronchitis) and lung cancer are encountered."