Cannabis and Lung Health: Does the Bad Outweigh the Good?

Alan G Kaplan

doi:10.1007/s41030-021-00171-8

Cannabis and Lung Health: Does the Bad Outweigh the Good?

Pulm Ther. 2021 Dec;7(2):395-408. doi: 10.1007/s41030-021-00171-8. Epub 2021 Oct 25.

Author

Alan G Kaplan¹

Affiliation

¹ Family Physician Airways Group of Canada, Respiratory Effectiveness Group, Primary Care Respiratory Research, OPRI, local LHIN Pulmonary Rehabilitation Clinics, University of Toronto, 7335 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Toronto, ON, L3T 2B2, Canada. for4kids@gmail.com.

Abstract

Cannabis use is growing, with multiple medical 'indications' and approval for recreational use in many countries. This article will review some of the respiratory complications to cannabis use, which include lung function changes, lung destruction, increased risk of lung and head and neck cancer, and others. These are mostly related to smoking, and the co-administration of nicotine makes the risks a bit difficult to measure. However, with many reports of EVALI, electronic vaping-associated lung injury, being related to cannabis coadministration, it appears that the safest administration of cannabis, as far as lung health, is orally. Cannabis and Lung Health: Does the Bad Outweigh the Good? A video abstract (MP4 81,897 kb).

Keywords: Asthma; CBD; COPD; Cannabis; Lung cancer; Lung function; Pneumothorax; Respiratory; THC.

Publication types

Review