I like smoking marijuana just as much as the next person. It feels like everyone I know blazes now, and it’s awesome that I don’t have to keep this healthy habit a secret from my friends.
But something I don’t like? Getting a smoker’s cough every time I want to go for a jog or take a great backcountry hike with my boyfriend. Ever since I stopped smoking cigarettes I started to wonder, does marijuana deposit more tar than tobacco in my lungs?
I started doing research because I wanted to know. Now I want to share with everyone what I know since everyone I know likes cannabis and needs to know the difference between marijuana tar vs. cigarette tar. Any tar is definitely bad for you, and I found out there’s a smart way to limit it.
The Negative Effects of Tar from Smoking Weed & Tobacco
Bottom line? I was sorry to find out that you’re going to end up with lungs full of tar from smoking whether you smoke weed or tobacco.
Tar is the natural byproduct of burning these plants. It forms a sticky layer inside the lungs, which makes you cough like a maniac just because you’re trying to look good for the beach. Hacking up a lung — not to mention emphysema, cancer, and other lung problems — isn’t a good look.
The good news is that it’s possible to reverse the damage done to the lungs with tar, but it can take a long time. But what about the impact of weed vs. tobacco lungs? I didn’t want to believe my daily joint was actually killing me.
Does Marijuana Have More Tar Than Cigarettes?
When it comes to tar I might as well have been smoking a cigarette as my daily joint. In fact, I could have smoked a few cigarettes — which was the complete last thing I would ever want to do. I mean, I own jogging shoes and hiking boots. I even have a little hip pouch for my marijuana.
It sucked to find out that weed products actually produce even more tar than cigarettes. We inhale more weed and hold the smoke in our lungs. That means we’re holding the tar in our lungs from smoking. It turns out marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer causing substances than tobacco smoke! So not only does marijuana deposit more tar than tobacco but it actually has even worse substances.
I needed a solution! I certainly had no intention of stopping my daily ritual of a hit of a hand-rolled joint just before I set out on an adventure. I was stoked to find Moose Labs Mouthpiece Mini Bundle and the Mouthpeace Filter Roll. Moose Labs is famous for their superior filters. These are simply the best on the market to help tar from smoking weed.
Let’s just say I snatched these up faster than I’m jogging. These filters fit standard pre-rolled cones and larger blunts, so I was sorted no matter what I wanted to smoke. I learned that I should be using a filter every time I smoke because filters are the best way at the moment to reduce tar in weed. That means less coughing and less risk of serious lung problems.
Marijuana Tar Vs Cigarette Tar
Maybe you don’t want to believe this either. I get it. This was a shock to the system to find out the answer to a simple question. Does marijuana deposit more tar than tobacco? Science says yes!
I found a study from 1988 (you do the math!) published in the esteemed New England Journal of Medicine entitled “Pulmonary hazards of smoking marijuana as compared with tobacco.” You can just imagine the guys in white coats, all standing around some stoner in the middle of a laboratory room. He was doing it for science, taking one for the team.
Well, those scientists gathered 15 subjects, all dudes who smoked both cigarettes and marijuana. They inhaled both separately, and the doctors took all their vital signs.
Turns out, the tar from smoking cannabis was associated with three times more tar inhaled when it's compared to cigarettes. I don’t know exactly what blood carboxyhemoglobin levels are, but they’re nearly five times higher with weed smoke. It wasn’t pretty. One-third more tar from cannabis even stayed in the lungs. No wonder I was coughing so much before I got those Moose Labs filters.
What Can Tar in Lungs from Smoking Tobacco Do
I felt so self-conscious about my smoker’s cough too, because it’s not like I was only coughing when I was out for a jog or a hike. Who am I kidding? And yet I cared about my health. In fact, I prioritize my health.
Still, I ignorantly presumed that taking an innocent hit throughout the day wasn’t damaging my lungs.
That’s right. That chemical substance that is made when both cannabis and tobacco are burned is super-bad for your health. Tar creates all kinds of health problems, and the worst of them are lung cancer and throat cancer. People may think there is a huge difference from weed lungs vs cigarettes, but in reality either way both are being heavily damaged. But at least the cannabis one can be filtered to a degree.
I remember when my friend’s mother was dying of emphysema. I swore that I would never smoke cigarettes and let my lungs fall into such disrepair like that. And yet, here I was doing the same thing — but even worse! After questioning, “does marijuana deposit more tar than tobacco” the next step is doing something about it and helping others know what to do also.
Weed Vs. Tobacco Lungs
I never wanted to give up smoking marijuana. I like consuming edibles, especially those sugar-coated gummies, but I found they took too long to kick in. THC-infused chocolates and cookies I thought were way too easy to over-indulge. Am I the only one who has a sweet tooth who also loves cannabis? I think those products are totally unfair. And besides, they don’t give me the kind of high I prefer.
I kept researching to convince myself to only smoke cannabis with Moose Labs filters. Check it out:
A 2016 study published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology confirmed that I wasn’t the only one who developed that “smoker’s cough” with marijuana. It seems cannabis causes the same coughing and extra sputum production, maybe there wasn’t a big difference between weed vs tobacco lungs. With this study, I also learned there was another name for a loogie.
That same study found that smoking marijuana could be linked with symptoms of chronic bronchitis, too. So, I’d have not only coughing, but wheezing while breathing, and difficulty taking a breath to look forward to if I hadn’t scored those Moose Labs filters.
Now, I was thinking that maybe vaping would be a solution to my (and everyone else I know) situation. While that works sometimes, again I found it challenging to regulate the amount I wanted to consume. Often with vaporizers, you take this massive hit without even realizing it until you exhale. Everyone’s been there — like, guess who’s too high to go jogging after all.
Besides, the long-term safety of vaping is still a matter of debate when it comes to cannabis. That’s only because there hasn’t been a lot of research.
When it comes to vaping for nicotine, Johns Hopkins Medicine and tons of other doctors confirm that the chemicals that come from vaping may contribute to what they call “product-associated lung injury.” The most suspicious bad-for-you chemical is known as vitamin E acetate, which serves to thicken the oil in THC vaping products. No thanks. Vaping nicotine may not have tar from smoking, but is still bad and damaging to your lungs.
Bottom Line
You know where I’m going with all this. I certainly don’t want to get cancer or even feel gross when I want to get out and breathe deeply in nature, but I don’t want to have to sacrifice the joy and other health benefits I get from my daily marijuana hit. I also don’t want anyone I know to get cancer — and that includes you!
So, yeah, does marijuana deposit more tar than tobacco on your lungs? The bummer of the answer is yes. Tar from smoking is bad, no matter if it’s marijuana vs. cigarette tar. I hated to learn that marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke. But now we know.
I was so relieved to find Moose Labs. Those filters are awesome not only to keep my lungs healthy but also so I can share my joints without sharing my germs with anyone. They come with multiple filters and two mouth pieces, so they’re perfect for a household like mine with more than one person who loves smoking marijuana.
Oh, I almost forgot: bongs! Water pipes are a pretty good option when it comes to enjoying cannabis and also taking better care of your lungs. Personally, I’m not really into huge bong hits but some people — cough, cough, my boyfriend — love them. I was pleased to learn that those Moose Labs filters come in all kinds of cool colors and looks, and they’re even able to work on bongs.
Take care of yourself while enjoying the benefits of cannabis. I know I definitely will, and I’ll start with a big joint and an awesome jog.
ket or other container with water. Place your cut bottle (with the bowl on it) into the water and push down until you've submerged it to the neck. Be sure to keep the bowl dry.Step 4: Light Your Bud
Pack the foil bowl with your chosen cannabis strain. Grab your lighter and spark it up.
Step 5: Fill the Bottle with Smoke and Take Your Hit
Slowly lift your bottle out of the water. As you do this, the inside will fill with smoke. Don't pull it all the way out, though. Otherwise, you'll lose all of your smoke.
Once the bottle is nearly out of the water, you're ready to take your hit. Quickly remove the bowl and replace it with the MouthPeace. Then, you can push the bottle into the water as you inhale. The pressure will force the smoke into your lungs to give you a nice big hit.
Final Thoughts on Making Your Own Bong
Making your own bong lets you enjoy your favorite strains of cannabis, whether you have a bong with you or not. With just a few household items, you can put together a homemade bong in a matter of minutes. With Moose Labs MouthPeace added to your DIY bong setup, you can take your experience to the next level. MouthPeace gives you the cleanest, smoothest hits from a makeshift bong ever.
A MouthPeace is an essential component of your smoking kit. Visit Moose Labs today to get yours!