Cannabis and Tobacco

 

'Everybody's smoking, but no one's getting high,
Everybody's flying and never touch the sky'

 - Days like these, John Lennon

 

 

'And in spite of the evidence linking cigarettes with lung cancer, practically everybody regards tobacco smoking as being hardly less normal and natural than eating. From the point of view of the rationalist utilitarian this may seem odd. For the historian, it is exactly what you would expect. A firm conviction of the material reality of Hell never prevented medieval Christians from doing what their ambition, lust or covetousness suggested. Lung cancer, traffic accidents and the millions of miserable and misery-creating alcoholics are facts even more certain than was, in Dante's day, the fact of the Inferno. But all such facts are remote and unsubstantial compared with the near, felt fact of a craving, here and now, for release or sedation, for a drink or a smoke.'

 

 - The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley, 1954. 

 

 

'Make believe yer sick
Stay in bed and lick
yr cigarette habit greed
One day's all you need
In deed in deed in deed smoke weed
smoke weed Put something green
in between but don't smoke smoke dont smoke
hope hope hope hope Nicotine dont
smoke the official dope
Dope Dope Dope Dope Dont Smoke
Smoke weed indeed smoke grass yass yass
smoke pot but not nicotine no no
indeed it's too obscene
put something green
in between your lips get hip not square
listen to my wail don't dare smoke coffin nails
ugh ugh ugh ugh the government Drug
official habit of Mr Babbit
Don't smoke the official dope
dope dope dope dope don't smoke
Dont Smoke Dont Smoke'

- Put Down Your Cigarette Rag (Dont Smoke), Allen Ginsberg, Selected Poems 1947-1995 

 

 

"As to the evil sequelæ [of hemp drugs] so unanimously dwelt on by all writers, these did not appear to us so numerous, so immediate, or so formidable as many which may be clearly traced to over-indulgence in other powerful stimulants or narcotics, viz., alcohol, opium, or tobacco."  

 

 - William O'Shaugnessy, 19th Century British Physician 

 

 

'Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. '

 

-  World Health Organization

 

 

Tobacco has been around for thousands of years, though it's use was restricted to the Native Indians of the Americas who used it for medicinal, recreational and spiritual purposes. Tobacco appears to be indigenous to the Americas. There apparently is no other place in the world where tobacco was cultivated or smoked until the Europeans 'discovered' it in the 17th century. Science Magazine reports that 'The team found clear traces of nicotine, a tell-tale compound within tobacco, in residue ringing the inside of the pipe. Animal bones found alongside the pipe were dated to between 1685 and 1530 B.C.E., indicating the pipe is the earliest evidence yet of tobacco smoking in North America, the researchers report today in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports'. It was only around the 17th century that expeditions from Europe to the Americas spread its usage around the world. 

 

Cannabis, on the other hand, has been used worldwide in an unbroken chain from as far back as we can see for medicine, spirituality, food, industry, and recreation. The cannabis plant is said to have branched from the Humulus family of plants, around 28 million years ago. Evidence of cannabis usage go back thousands of years. It appears that Asia and Eurasia were the primary regions from which the plant originated, and its use spread.  This history and distribution of usage of tobacco versus cannabis - till the recent past - should be an indicator of how humans have selected a more healthy, medicinal, recreational plant for wide spread usage and restricted a more harmful plant to small areas of the world. 

 

If tobacco was introduced in India only in the 17th or 18th century by the Europeans, then the question that must be asked is - what were the Indians smoking till then? They were smoking for sure, since smoking is one of the earliest behavioral traits of modern humans. Most people seem to think that Indians never smoked before tobacco arrived, when the fact is that Indians had been smoking for thousands of years. I estimate that, roughly, 30-40%  of the Indian adult population were smokers when tobacco reached Indian shores. The answer, to the previous question, is that it was ganja and bhang that was being smoked across the length and breadth of the country for tens of thousands of years. Opium came much later, supposedly from Greece. This may have well been the case across many regions in Asia, Africa and Eurasia, until the discovery of tobacco. In his evidence before the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission of 1894, Surgeon-Captain D. Prain, Curator of the Herbarium, and Librarian, Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, in response to question 23 states that -"It [bhang or cannabis leaves] was 200 years ago so used [smoked] on the Malabar Coast; it would be well perhaps to find if in this region the use still persists. I have been unable to find any instance of the use in Bengal." Not only was the cannabis leaves smoked by itself, filled into pipes or rolled into cigars, it was also mixed with ganja (the flowers) or charas (the resin) much like tobacco is used today. By the 19th century, it appears that tobacco had become an indispensable part of the smoking of cannabis, and smoking in general, in India. The introduction of tobacco in Indian society initially resulted in only the elite classes adopting it. Today, the history of the pre-tobacco smoking cultures have more or less been erased, with the only picture remaining being that of tobacco. The idea that there existed a pre-tobacco ganja smoking culture across many parts of the world - which was effectively eliminated by the introduction of tobacco - is something alien to most people, including policy makers. To make tobacco more pervasive among the Indian population, ganja and bhang had to be removed from the picture, forcing the people to consume tobacco. The benefits of tobacco were much touted, while myths about the harms of cannabis were perpetrated, myths such as: cannabis causes insanity; cannabis causes physical and moral harm; cannabis causes crime; cannabis is used by the most despicable classes of society; cannabis is more harmful than alcohol or opium, etc. 

 

The shift from cannabis to tobacco use, on a global level, started in the 19th century when the British government decided to prohibit cannabis in Burma, or today's Myanmar, India, Trinidad and Egypt. A few decades later, in the 1920s and 1930s, the US and Canadian governments decided to prohibit cannabis. All these actions were influenced by wealthy British, European, American and Canadian tobacco farmers who owned large tobacco plantations and wielded considerable clout in their governments' decision making processes. Most of Europe, and even many parts of Asia, became major tobacco markets. The politicians and businessmen closely associated with tobacco used their political and financial power to push tobacco into new markets, and push cannabis out of these markets. The Hindu reports that 'And while Hearst had paper in mind, plastic manufacturing companies joined the “Let’s get hemp banned” party to ensure that their petrochemical-based plastics had a leg up over bio-degradable hemp-made plastics. The alcohol and tobacco industries also contribute astronomical sums to fund the “Weed is a dangerous narcotic drug” canard with absolutely zero sense of irony and the pharma industry would prefer that you buy expensive pain killer drugs instead of chewing on some bhang .' By the 1960s cannabis was prohibited all over the world. In the meantime, the tobacco industry grew immensely. Tobacco companies became global multinationals with tremendous political and financial clout, pouring in huge amounts of money to support the lawmakers who were beneficial to them. Cannabis more or less completely disappeared from the public view and only continued to survive underground, supported by a small number of loyalists. The use of media, advertising and financial clout was so effective and wide spread that it was common to see tobacco-chain-smoking health officials, politicians, celebrities and law enforcement officials lecturing the public about the harms of cannabis. The tobacco-smoking president of a nation, or film star, was portrayed as an icon, while the cannabis smoker was a low life dope fiend or criminal. Tobacco laws were, in the meantime, said to have been changed to allow the addition of more than 400 carcinogenic chemicals, the usage of which was supposedly kept largely hidden from the public. Hunter Thompson writes in his1972 book - Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson, regarding the Miami Pulitzer divorce trial - 'Judge Harper had run the whole show with an evil glint in his eye, enduring a shitrain of perjury from both sides and day after day of relentless haggling and posturing by teams of Palm Beach lawyers and a circus parade of rich fools, dumb hustlers, and dope fiends who were all getting famous just for being in his courtroom - where smoking was not allowed, except for the judge, who smoked constantly.'

 

One of the main reasons why the tobacco industry pursued the prohibition of cannabis, and why it still does so, is that cannabis will replace tobacco, or at least seriously eat into the tobacco market. A return to the pre-tobacco smoking patterns where the majority of the world smokes cannabis, while a few pockets smoke tobacco is the likely outcome in a world where cannabis is not prohibited.  This makes tobacco companies influence policymakers with various perks and incentives to ensure that the tobacco industry is protected from the threat of ganja. In return, governments worldwide make huge chunks of revenue from tobacco sales. This threat of ganja to tobacco is clearly evident in the US states where cannabis has been legalized for adult use. Sales revenue from cannabis has overtaken revenue from tobacco sales. NORML reports that 'In the two states with the most mature adult-use cannabis markets – Colorado and Washington – cannabis excise tax revenues outpaced those collected on the sale of alcohol and tobacco. “Broadly speaking, the experience of Colorado and Washington demonstrate that a state can collect a significant amount of revenue from marijuana taxes and that collection should mostly increase over time,” the report’s authors wrote.' Marijuana Moment reports, regarding the newly opened New York state legal cannabis market - '...state analysts said that New York stands to generate about $20 million in revenue from adult-use cannabis business license fees next year. And as the market matures, marijuana tax revenue and license fees are expected to generate $245 million by fiscal year 2025. At the same time, cigarette tax revenue is expected to continue to decline, dropping from $972 million in the 2022 fiscal year to $852 million in 2025. The state said that “along with the second year of license fees, the State’s THC-based and retail excise taxes on the sale of adult-use cannabis products are projected to generate $115 million,” and those increases “are partially offset by a continued decline in taxable cigarette consumption.”' New Frontier Data reports that 'The overall displacement or cannibalization of tobacco by cannabis products in California alone amounted to $84.5 million overall from 2017-2018 (not including 2017 e-cigarettes, figures for which were not available). The shifts amounted to $33.8 million for cigarettes, $8.3 million for non-cigarette tobacco, and $42.6 million for e-cigarettes (in 2018 only). Across the U.S. overall, the 2018 spending shifts amounted to $4.3 billion for alcohol: (1.54% of that market), $1.3 billion for pharmaceuticals (1.10%), and $219 million (0.22%) for tobacco.' Despite federal prohibition, most Americans are now of the opinion that cannabis is nowhere as harmful as tobacco. NORML reports that 'According to the survey, 81 percent of respondents believe that tobacco cigarettes are "very harmful." Fifty-one percent of respondents similarly view alcohol as "very harmful." By contrast, only 26 percent of those surveyed ranked marijuana as "very harmful."'

The impact of ganja legalization on the tobacco industry is not only seen in the revenue and consumption side of things, it is also evident in the cultivation side. Many traditional tobacco producing nations, such as Malawi and Zimbabwe, have started to replace tobacco - with its decreasing global demand - with cannabis as an export crop. In both these countries, tobacco used to be the leading export crop. Reuters reports that 'Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera warned on Wednesday that his country's leading foreign exchange earner, tobacco, was in terminal decline and he urged a switch to high-growth crops like cannabis, which was legalised locally for some uses last year. Chakwera made the comments during a state of the nation address in which he said tobacco was expected to earn less than $200 million in 2021, a figure roughly similar to the past two years but well below previous annual earnings that used to top $350 million.' Forbes reports that 'After legalizing the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use Zimbabwe's export earnings outstrip tobacco by three-time when compared to 2019, according to a report by Moneyweb.' For many countries globally - especially in Africa, the Americas and Asia - the legalization of cannabis will enable these countries to switch over from tobacco cultivation to cannabis cultivation, thus not only improving their revenues, but also saving the soil and public health. With the ravages of climate change affecting every single nation in the world, cannabis represents an incredible opportunity as a sustainable additional agricultural crop that can minimize the harms of tobacco. Reuters further reports that “Our view as regulator is that if we get honest investors, the hemp industry can supplement export revenues from tobacco, and in some cases, surpass it. But it will not immediately replace tobacco,” he added. Malawi’s earnings from tobacco have fallen dramatically over the years in part due to declining demand and poor weather. During the 2020 season, Malawi’s tobacco output fell by 31.3%, resulting in a 26.4% decline in the country’s overall tobacco revenues.'

When the western world discovered tobacco, it was touted as a cure for a wide range of illnesses and quickly caught the public's imagination there. NCBI reports that - 'First, too much was expected of tobacco. In medieval times, most herbs would be used only for a few conditions in which it was deemed effective—not for a vast range of disorders from head lice to haemorrhoids, from hysteria to tetanus, as happened with tobacco.' The harms associated with tobacco use were almost unknown up to this point. Dr. William O'Shaugnessy, the eminent British Physician, flagged it, along with alcohol and opium, as much more dangerous than hemp drugs as early as in the 19th century when he said - "As to the evil sequelæ so unanimously dwelt on by all writers, these did not appear to us so numerous, so immediate, or so formidable as many which may be clearly traced to over-indulgence in other powerful stimulants or narcotics, viz., alcohol, opium, or tobacco." Slowly from the 1960s, reports started emerging regarding the harmful carcinogenic and neuro-toxic effects of tobacco. Before we realized it, tobacco was in the eye the storm of a huge number of deaths related to lung, throat, neck, mouth and brain cancers as well as heart attacks and strokes. It was found to cause high blood pressure. Many people came out strongly against tobacco but the industry was too big and well established globally. Today, more than a thousand people are said to die daily in India alone due to tobacco related illnesses. The World Health Organization says that 'Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.'

 

Cannabis was such an important medicine in India that it led the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission of 1895 to state that - "Cannabis indica must be looked upon as one of the most important drugs of Indian Materia Medica."  There is ample evidence of the relatively less harms of cannabis on the lungs as compared to tobacco. Scientists have repeatedly shown the links between tobacco and heart disease, and the relative harmlessness of cannabis to the heart. NORML reports that 'An international team of investigators from Switzerland and the United States assessed the relationship between the use of tobacco and/or cannabis and the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in a cohort of 3,257 subjects. Authors reported that lifetime exposure to tobacco over a 20-year period was “strongly associated” with subclinical atherosclerosis, whereas the cumulative use of cannabis alone was not – a finding that is consistent with prior research. They concluded, “This study adds to the growing body of evidence that there might be no association between the average population level of marijuana use and subclinical atherosclerosis.”' ' Non-smokers view all kinds of smoking by humans as harmful. It is true that third-hand smoking is harmful, especially when it is tobacco. It is for the protection of non-smokers that tobacco use has been banned in public places worldwide. Even in this regard, it has been found that thirdhand cannabis smoke is less harmful than thirdhand tobacco smoke. ACS Publications reports that 'Thirdhand smoke (THS) deposits to surfaces following smoking events and is a source of chemical exposure to humans. However, the evolution of THS in indoor environments is not well understood. Cannabis THS is a chemically distinct and prevalent form of THS, which has not been studied. The heterogeneous reaction of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a major component of cannabis smoke, with ozone was examined as a pure compound and within cannabis smoke. Oxidative decay via ozonolysis and product formation were monitored by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Epoxide, dicarbonyl, and secondary ozonide THC reaction products were detected from both pure THC and cannabis experiments, with the product ratios dependent on relative humidity. The observed reaction kinetics for loss of THC on glass and cotton surfaces are consistent with a relatively short loss lifetime, which will be strongly dependent on the film thickness, ozone mixing ratio, and ozone reactivity of the surface substrate. The low volatility of THC and its oxidation products suggest that their contributions to thirdhand cannabis smoke will be less significant than the role that nicotine plays in thirdhand tobacco smoke.'   NORML reports that 'Cannabis exposure does not negatively impact the lungs in a manner consistent with tobacco, nor is it similarly linked to elevated rates of either COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or lung cancer, according a literature review published in the journal Addiction. A team of New Zealand researchers reviewed clinical trial data assessing the impact of cannabis smoke exposure on the lungs. They report that "the effects of smoking cannabis on the lungs are distinct from tobacco." Specifically, they write: "[I]t has been pragmatic to assume that cannabis and tobacco would have similar respiratory effects. ... The research that has been done, however, offers a different story. The most common serious respiratory consequences from smoking tobacco are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Epidemiological evidence that smoking cannabis causes either of these is scant."' JAMA Network reports that 'In general, our findings showed that cannabis use over 20 years was unrelated to health problems in early midlife. Across several domains of health (periodontal health, lung function, systemic inflammation, and metabolic health), clear evidence of an adverse association with cannabis use was apparent for only one domain, namely, periodontal health. Cannabis use from ages 26 to 38 years was not associated with within-individual health decline during this 12-year period with the exception of periodontal health. By comparison, tobacco use was associated with worse periodontal health, lung function, systemic inflammation, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and glucose levels in early midlife, as well as health decline from ages 26 to 38 years.' 

It is only in the last few years that cannabis has started to re-emerge from prohibition, and that too in the very same countries that lobbied for tobacco over cannabis in the late 19th century and in the 1930s i.e. Europe, the US and Canada. Canada has now legalized adult recreational use of cannabis since October 2018 and, at the time of writing this, more than 38 US states have legalized cannabis for medical use while 24 odd US states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use. Germany, Malta and Luxembourg subsequently legalized cannabis for adult recreational use. Many European countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and France - known for their tobacco affinity - have gradually, and in very subtle ways, started courting cannabis once again, while opposing it on the global stage to protect their own international tobacco businesses.

 

The harms of tobacco have been known for a long time now. But usage rates have only continued to increase - to meet the surge in public demand for intoxication and relaxation - even as government bodies and regulatory authorities continue to support and benefit from tobacco revenue, and even as they offer lip service to tobacco control. Until the recent past, public perception was that cannabis was more harmful than tobacco, despite warnings from medical experts as long back as in the 19th century. The myth that cannabis causes insanity was more powerful and effective than the reality that tobacco kills. With more and more scientific research and reports emerging - especially on the prohibited cannabis - we can see the true picture emerging. With this increased awareness, public perception has gradually started to shift in favor of cannabis over tobacco, especially in places that have legalized cannabis, or are close to such places. Nowhere is this change in perception more evident than in the United States, where nearly 70% of the people view tobacco as more harmful than cannabis. Pix 11 reports that 'More Americans now favor legal cannabis than legal tobacco, surveys show, signaling a sharp societal shift from an era when cigarette-smoking was legal pretty much everywhere and pot-smoking was legal absolutely nowhere. Fifty-seven percent of American adults would support “a policy prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in a research brief last month. A slightly larger majority, 59 percent, believe marijuana should be legal for both medical and recreational use, according to a Pew Research survey conducted in October. Another 30 percent approve of cannabis for medical use alone. Only 10 percent of the American public believes marijuana should not be legal at all.' Marijuana Moment reports that 'In other words, New York is seeing the same trend that’s playing out nationally. People are smoking fewer cigarettes while more adults are trying cannabis. And creating a regulated market for marijuana is helping to create an alternative revenue source for states that legalize. Part of the reason behind that trend seems to be public perception. A 2018 Gallup poll found that 96 percent of Americans view cigarettes as either “very harmful” or “somewhat harmful,” compared to only 56 percent of respondents said the same about cannabis.' Even though the American people are overwhelmingly in favor of cannabis over tobacco, the federal government continues to dance to the tune of the tobacco industry, as it has done for the last hundred years or so. In most places in the world, the 'cannabis is more harmful than tobacco' myth continues to persist very strongly in society. A person smoking ganja will be severely reprimanded by a society that still sees tobacco as normal, even though its glorification of tobacco has come down a few notches in the recent past as a result of increasing global awareness.

When it comes to youth, society is almost unanimous in its misconception that the legalization of ganja will ruin the youth. They say that cannabis is a gateway drug that leads the youth to other more dangerous substances. Most people conveniently forget the real gateway drugs - alcohol and tobacco. Quite often, both these deleterious legal drugs go together, when it comes to teenage use. Live Science reports that 'For young smokers, the pleasure of smoking a cigarette is greater when they are also drinking alcohol than when they are also smoking pot, according to a new study.' Tobacco initiation starts very early in most parts of the world, and many teenagers are regular smokers by the time they graduate out of school. The perception that tobacco smoking is a macho thing, and a sign of rebellion, makes many youngsters take up tobacco. Then there is the easy access to it, of course. I myself started smoking tobacco by the age of nine or ten, picking up lit cigarette butts that people threw on the street in front of my house, till I could afford to buy a cigarette. This was occasional, of course. I stayed away from serious tobacco for a long time, until the age of thirty five when I started regularly smoking beedies. I started smoking ganja around the age of 18, though this was also occasional, again obviously, not because I did not like ganja but because it was prohibited. By the age of 17, many of my friends were already regular tobacco smokers, smoking 3-4 cigarettes a day. It has been found in US states where cannabis has been legalized for medical use, that not only has the rates of teenage use of cannabis not gone up, but the rates of tobacco usage have actually gone down. NORML reports that 'A team of researchers affiliated with the University of California at Irvine and with Pennsylvania State University assessed the relationship between medical cannabis legalization laws and cigarette initiation among adolescents. They concluded: “Our results indicate lower odds of initiating cigarettes, in every age group (8 years old or younger, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17 years old or older) in states with MMLs [medical marijuana laws] when compared to non-MML states. … Further research should evaluate how MMLs and recreational marijuana policies are associated with e-cigarette initiation and use.”'

Long terms studies comparing lung health of tobacco smokers and cannabis smokers seem to indicate that cannabis is more beneficial for the lungs than tobacco. There is widespread evidence of the use of cannabis for the treatment of bronchitis and asthma in 19th century India, as reported by the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission of 1895. The Hemp Commission reports that 'In the treatment of diseases of the respiratory organs, hemp drugs are stated to be used in hay-fever, asthma, bronchitis, and coughs, inhalation of ganja smoke being the usual mode of exhibiting the drug. Pounded bhang leaves are stated to be sometimes used as a snuff in catarrh and "diseases of the nose and head."' Attempts were made to create the myth that cannabis usage caused bronchitis and asthma. This was emphatically discredited by leading medical experts, including British physicians, who were called as witnesses to depose before the Commission. In its report, the Commission says that 'In asthma and bronchitis inhalation of ganja smoke appears to be very frequently prescribed; while, on the other hand, there is evidence which tends to indicate that both affections may be induced by charas or ganja smoking indulged in as a habit. The inhalation of ganja smoke may very possibly first act as a pulmonary sedative, diminishing the secretion of mucus, and after long continuance as an irritant increasing mucus secretion, and giving rise to a chronic bronchitis. In considering the therapeutic action of ganja and charas smoke in these affections, it must be remembered that the drugs are as a rule smoked admixed with tobacco from a chillum, and the smoke inhaled into the lungs in a similar manner as sometimes in cigarette smoking. In ganja smoking, however, the inspiratory act is far greater and more prolonged, a larger volume of smoke entering the lungs than in cigarette smoking. In smoking ordinary tobacco the composition of the smoke will vary according to the amount of air admitted during combustion, oxidation being thus more perfect in cigar than in pipe smoking. In smoking tobacco from a pipe, pyridine is one of the chief aromatic bases produced. In smoking a mixture of ganja or charas and tobacco, aromatic hydrocarbons must also be formed: pyridine and others from the tobacco, and aromatic hydrocarbons also from the hemp drug, though at present we are not in a position to indicate the precise nature of the hydrocarbons afforded by its dry distillation. The base pyridine which is found in pipe smoke possesses the power, according to Germain Sée (Comptes Rend. Ac. Science, 1886), of diminishing the reflex activity of the respiratory centre, and may thus act as a pulmonary sedative; and, according to Lauder Brunton, the inhalation of the vapour of pyridine has been used in asthma with beneficial effect. Tobacco smoking has also been recommended in the treatment of asthma. Irrespective, therefore, of the products afforded by the hemp drugs, the tobacco smoke may be thus of value in both bronchitis and asthma. But long-continued smoking, whether of ganja or of any other substance, doubtless results in the deposition of finely divided carbonaceous matter in the lung tissues, and the presence of other irritating substances in the smoke ultimately causes local irritation of the bronchial mucous membrane, leading to increased secretion, and resulting in the condition which is described as chronic bronchitis in ganja smokers. Whether true asthma can be induced by hemp drug smoking, the Commission consider open to much doubt. It appears to them highly probable that the drugs are smoked in the first instance for the relief of that disease. On the other hand, it is well known that frequent asthmatic seizures result in emphysema of the lungs and attendant bronchitis; and possibly most cases of hemp drug bronchitis are associated with emphysema, induced partly by the strain mechanically thrown on the lungs in smoking, and partly as a result of the chronic bronchitis. So that in considering the œtiology of associated asthma and bronchitis in ganja smokers, they are inclined to the view that in the vast majority of cases the drug is not the cause. In many of the statements of witnesses regarding alleged experience there is no satisfactory evidence of even the co-existence of these diseases with the habit of using hemp drugs. And when that co-existence is reasonably established, there is often no good ground for accepting the relation of cause and effect. The drugs may have been used in many cases owing to the popular notion that they alleviate these diseases. At the same time there is some evidence that the drugs may cause bronchitis or bronchial catarrh as above described. There is no satisfactory evidence that they ever cause asthma.' This has been further corroborated by recent scientific studies. Science Direct reports that 'Although regular smoking of marijuana is associated with an increased risk of symptoms of chronic bronchitis and evidence of inflammation and injury involving the larger airways, lung function findings, although mixed, do not provide compelling evidence that habitual marijuana smoking in the manner and amount that it is generally smoked increases the risk of COPD, at least at the population level. Despite the presence of carcinogens in marijuana smoke in concentrations comparable with those that are found in tobacco smoke, the weight of evidence from well-designed epidemiologic studies does not support the concept that habitual marijuana use in the manner and quantity in which it is customarily smoked, when adjusted for tobacco, is a significant risk factor for the development of lung cancer.' The harms associated with smoking tobacco greatly increase with time, but not so much when it comes to cannabis. JAMA Netwrok reports that 'In this 20-year study of marijuana and pulmonary function, we confirmed the expected reductions in FEV1 and FVC from tobacco use. In contrast, marijuana use was associated with higher FEV1 and FVC at the low levels of exposure typical for most marijuana users.' Regarding the medicinal qualities of cannabis on the lungs, Jack Herer writes in his book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, that 'Cannabis is the best natural expectorant to clear the human lungs of smog, dust and the phlegm associated with tobacco use. Marijuana smoke effectively dilates the airways of the lungs, the bronchi, opening them to allow more oxygen into the lungs. It is also the best natural dilator of the tiny airways of the lungs, the bronchial tubes – making cannabis the best overall bronchial dilator for 80% of the population (the remaining 20% sometimes show minor negative reactions). (See section on asthma – a disease that closes these passages in spasms – UCLA Tashkin studies, 1969-97; U.S. Costa Rican, 1980-82; Jamaican studies 1969-74,76.) Statistical evidence – showing up consistently as anomalies in matched populations -indicates that people who smoke tobacco cigarettes are usually better off and will live longer if they smoke cannabis moderately, too. (Jamaican, Costa Rican studies.) Millions of Americans have given up or avoided smoking tobacco products in favor of cannabis, which is not good news to the powerful tobacco lobby. A turn-of-the-century grandfather clause in U.S. tobacco law allows 400 to 6,000 additional chemicals to be added. Additions since then to the average tobacco cigarette are unknown, and the public in the U.S. has no right to know what they are.'

 

One of the reasons that tobacco is more harmful than cannabis is that tobacco smokers are likely to smoke a much larger number of cigarettes than even the most frequent cannabis smokers. It is quite common for serious tobacco smokers to smoke 40 cigarettes a day, or more, whereas even the most heavy cannabis smokers may not smoke more than 20 joints a day. A report says that 'Pulmonary critical care researcher John Hansen-Flaschen of the University of Pennsylvania points out that cigarette smokers puff a lot more cigarettes than do marijuana users--a smoker with a 2-pack-a-day habit lights up 292,000 cigarettes over 20 years, for example.' Where an average tobacco smoker consumes a packet of ten cigarettes a day, with ganja legalization and access to good quality ganja at affordable prices, an average ganja smoker may smoke 3-4 joints a day, with hardly any yearning for tobacco. The average tobacco smoker probably smokes about 10 cigarettes a day while the average cannabis smoker smokes around 3 joints a day. The nicotine in tobacco has been found to be highly addictive. Industrial cigarettes contain hundreds of carcinogens. Cannabis on the other hand in known for its anti-cancer properties.

 

Today cannabis is once again being used to try and mitigate the global destruction of public health that opium, tobacco and alcohol have wrecked. The Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment reports that 'Highlights: Following initiation of medical cannabis use, 320 (49%) of participants that used tobacco/nicotine (T/N) reported reductions in use; Odds of T/N cessation were greater amongst those who were age 55 or older or that reported >25 T/N uses per day; Specific intent to use medical cannabis in T/N reduction/cessation efforts resulted in significantly greater odds of reducing T/N use.' NORML reports that '“[T]he ability of WPE [whole-plant cannabis extract] to reduce opioid reward and drug seeking behavior appears quite robust and of great clinical utility,” authors concluded. “Additional systematic research is required to fully evaluate the potential for CBD to serve as an adjunct treatment for opioid use disorder.” A limited number of clinical trials have previously demonstrated the ability of CBD to mitigate subjects’ cravings for various substances, including heroin, tobacco, and cannabis. Regarding the reduction of nicotine dependency and craving, NORML reports that 'Researchers with the University of California, San Diego assessed the use of CBD or placebo in nicotine-dependent rats during periods of acute and protracted abstinence. Investigators reported that CBD dosing “prevented” rats from exhibiting various signs of nicotine withdrawal. These findings “suggest that using CBD as a strategy to alleviate withdrawal symptoms upon nicotine cessation may be beneficial,” they concluded. Separate animal models have demonstrated the ability of CBD to reduce cravings for alcohol and cocaine, while human studies have reported associations between CBD intake and reduced desires for alcohol, cocaine, heroin, tobacco, and cannabis.' NORML reports that - 'Authors speculated that the disparity in subjects’ exposure to harmful toxins may be due in part to differences in the frequency with which cannabis-only smokers consume the substance as compared to tobacco smokers. The study’s findings are consistent with prior research concluding that cannabis smoke and tobacco smoke are likely not equally carcinogenic, and that marijuana smoke exposure is typically not associated with the same type of deleterious effects to health as is tobacco smoke exposure. Moreover, the use of vaporization technology, which heats herbal cannabis to a set temperature below the point of combustion, is associated with reduced exposure to toxic gasses and has been identified as a “safe and effective” cannabis delivery device in clinical trial settings.' Oxford University Press reports that - 'Results Co-users [tobacco and cannabis] and ET [exclusive tobacco] smokers had higher levels of exhaled carbon monoxide, total nicotine equivalents, metabolites of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNAL), and all four measured mercapturic acids (measures of volatile organic compounds) than ECa smokers (ps < .005). ET smokers (geometric mean (GM) = 7220.2 pmol/mg) had higher levels of 2-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid than co-users (GM = 5348.7 adjusted p = .009). Phenanthrene tetraol did not differ by group (p > .05). Discussion
Co-users and ET smokers demonstrated comparable levels of biomarkers of exposure to harmful constituents despite smoking similar amounts of tobacco. ECa [exclusive cannabis] smokers demonstrated lower levels of toxicant exposure for most biomarkers.'  NORML reports that 'Subjects ages 55 and older, as well as those who expressed intentions to quit tobacco, were most likely to reduce their tobacco/nicotine use. Authors concluded: “Results from this retrospective survey of medical cannabis users suggest that initiation of medical cannabis use was associated with self-reported reductions and/or cessation of T/N [tobacco/nicotine]. … In light of the significant morbidity, mortality, and health care costs related to T/N dependence, future research should further evaluate the potential of cannabis-based treatments to support efforts to reduce or cease T/N use.”' NORML states in another article that 'Prior clinical trials have reported that CBD administration is associated with reduced cravings for both heroin and tobacco. A literature review published in the journal Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment previously concluded, “CBD seems to have direct effects on addictive behaviors.”

 

Hemp, the low THC version of cannabis is federally legal in the US through the Farm Bill since 2018. It is also widely cultivated in countries like France and China for other industrial purposes. Hemp cigarettes offer an immediate safer option for smokers if  hemp can be scaled up to the current industrial levels of tobacco. It also offers all the benefits of the cannabis plant with the exception of THC, which it is low in. Hemp could be a most significant harm reduction mechanism in terms of global health. But why hemp currently remains inconspicuous is an indication of the influence of the tobacco industry. In fact, hemp for industrial uses is not even prohibited by the 1961 UN Single Convention Treaty on Psychotropic Drugs. Cannabidiol (CBD), a key compound in low THC cannabis, should not be considered narcotic, according to a recent European Court ruling, In Zimbabwe smokable hemp is now the leading export commodity as per my understanding. The switchover from tobacco to smokable hemp would be one of the best things that we can do from a health  and environmental perspective. Hemp, as an agricultural crop, offers vast uses as well as benefits to soil and environment, as compared to tobacco, which requires extensive inputs, depletes soil fertility and has only one major user. Hemp can be grown almost everywhere and many poor nations can benefit from growing hemp for smoking purposes, besides its value as a cash crop, nutrition and for animal feed. Tobacco, on the other hand, can only be cultivated in a few places suitable for it. In terms of taxes, cannabis earned more tax revenues than tobacco in California in 2019 and in the US in 2020. Colorado generated almost more tax revenue from cannabis than alcohol and tobacco combined in 2022. Marijuana Moment reports, in 2023, that 'Colorado generated more tax revenue from marijuana than alcohol or cigarettes during the last fiscal year, with $280 million in cannabis tax dollars going toward a variety of government programs and services like K–12 education and health care. An analysis from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff (LCS) released on Wednesday showed that even though annual marijuana tax revenue has decreased significantly over the past two years, marijuana sales are still contributing more funds to Colorado’s budget than other regulated substances. In fact, tax revenue from marijuana in the past year amounted to nearly as much as the state generated from alcohol ($56 million) and cigarettes ($234 million) combined. Cannabis tax revenue also surpassed that of non-cigarette tobacco products ($61 million) and nicotine products ($56 million) in Fiscal Year 2022-2023.'
 

Tobacco companies themselves have started to take notice of the fact that many people are starting to prefer cannabis over tobacco. This has resulted in some tobacco giants becoming some of the biggest funders of the emerging cannabis industry. Many tobacco companies are exploring how they can work with the cannabis industry and add cannabis products to their offering, leveraging tobacco's well established growing, manufacturing and distribution networks worldwide. After seeing the tide turning in the US, with tobacco starting to lose favor with the public and cannabis gaining in popularity, the tobacco companies that did all they can to keep cannabis prohibited now have started looking at how to leverage cannabis as an additional product to tobacco. If you can't fight them, join them, as they say. MJBizDaily reports that 'Multinational tobacco company Philip Morris International reportedly is analyzing the marijuana industry for its market possibilities but hasn’t yet determined its next move. The New York-based cigarette maker told Bloomberg News that it is looking at the potential pharmaceutical and consumer plays and assessing such factors as cannabis benefits and risks. “We are doing all this work and will determine one day what avenues to pursue,” Chief Executive Officer Andre Calantzopoulos told Bloomberg in an interview.' NORML reports that 'We’ve already seen the influence of these corporate interests. In some instances, many of these same people have lobbied against consumer-friendly legalization provisions, such as the right for adults to cultivate marijuana in the privacy of their homes. These corporate entities also have pushed for statewide limits on the number of licensed cannabis producers and retailers, in an effort to keep prices and supply artificially limited — and to keep the economic benefits of legalization largely out of the reach of average Americans, especially people of color.' MJBizDaily further reports that 'A subsidiary of cigarette maker British American Tobacco (BAT) and Atlantic Canada-based marijuana producer Organigram signed a 220 million Canadian dollar ($175 million) strategic collaboration with a focus on research and product development. The deal is less about Canada and more about laying the groundwork to capitalize on the growing global marketplace for cannabinoid-based products and delivery systems, experts say.' CNBC reports that '“We are indeed going to think about, and we are going beyond, just the tobacco and nicotine space,” said Wheaton, who added that CBD is an “exciting growth area for our business for the future.”' The risks of these moves are that: the tobacco industries can easily bring in their existing mammoth technologies and capabilities to industrialize cannabis as they did with tobacco; all the harmful practices of the tobacco industry will get carried over to the emerging cannabis industry; small producers and farmers will face the threat of government-industry nexus and monopoly. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in its World Drug Report 2020, reported that 'Although the Cannabis Act introduced a variety of classes of cannabis licences, including for smaller producers, the federal Government requires that a potential supplier have a production facility in place, meaning that the supplier will have already made a substantial investment prior to applying for a licence. Some have speculated that this has contributed to deterring small entrepreneurs from applying for licences and may have favoured the emergence of a market dominated or even monopolized by a relatively small number of large, multi-billion-dollar businesses. There have also been reports of the alcohol, tobacco and finance industries investing in companies involved in nonmedical cannabis production. For instance, according to media sources, in October 2017 Constellation Brands, a major international producer of wine, beer and spirits, invested $4 billion to acquire a 9.9 per cent stake in Canopy Growth, the leading Canadian producer, to develop cannabis-based beverages. By the end of December 2019, Constellation owned a 35 per cent stake in Canopy. In December 2018, the tobacco company Altria made a $1.8 million investment in Cronos Group, a cannabis production company, giving Altria a 45 per cent interest in Cronos. Earlier in the year, Molson Coors Brewing, another multinational alcohol company, signed a joint venture with Quebec-based HEXO to develop and market cannabis-infused beverages. Market analysts have predicted that the alcohol industry will also invest in companies that plan to produce beverages that combine cannabis and beer and, in particular, they predicted that by the end of 2019 two of the largest cannabis companies in the world would be owned by two of the largest alcohol and tobacco companies'. UNODC further reports that 'Another area of concern in the cannabis debate is the growing influence of and investment by large corporations, especially the alcohol and tobacco industry, which is investing in the cannabis industry in North America. Such developments raise some concerns that, as the market for the non-medical use of cannabis is expanding rapidly, revenue and profits are likely to dictate the course of the nonmedical cannabis industry rather than public health considerations. These concerns are especially pertinent for jurisdictions where the non-medical use of cannabis has been legalized' MJBizDaily reports that 'Altria Group, one of the largest tobacco companies in North America, has agreed to invest 2.4 billion Canadian dollars ($1.8 billion) in Ontario-based cannabis producer Cronos Group – the most significant foray by Big Tobacco into the rapidly growing cannabis industry to date.' MJBizDaily further reports that 'Altria – owner of Marlboro maker Philip Morris USA and an investor in alcohol giant Anheuser-Busch InBev – has been assessing market opportunities in the cannabis industry.If a deal is completed, it would mark the first significant investment in the cannabis sector by a large alcohol or tobacco company since Constellation Brands bought a stake in Ontario-based Canopy Growth.' It says 'The cannabis industry has seen an influx of liquor companies such as Constellation Brands, Molson Coors Brewing, Heineken’s Lagunitas Brewing as well as tobacco firms Pyxus International (formerly Alliance One International), Altria Group (which owns Marlboro maker Philip Morris USA and is an investor in alcohol giant Anheuser-Busch InBev) and Imperial Brands. Such influx might frighten small business owners in the U.S. marijuana industry, since the entire market has been built by tiny companies with relatively little access to serious capital with which to scale operations.' Syracuse reports that 'One of the world's biggest tobacco companies is diving into the cannabis market with a $1.8 billion buy-in. Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. is taking a 45 percent stake in Cronos Group, the Canadian medical and recreational marijuana provider said Friday.'

Worldwide, tobacco is freely available and used extensively, including by youth. Cannabis on the other hand is prohibited worldwide, barring very few countries. To change this balance, to make cannabis at least as freely available as tobacco, means going against the tobacco industry. But as worldwide awareness increases on the harms of tobacco and the benefits of cannabis, there is an increasing push to, at a minimum, make cannabis a regulated commodity similar to tobacco. Cannabis and tobacco do go well together. Most people who smoke cannabis mix a little tobacco with it. The ratios of cannabis to tobacco vary from person to person and time to time. Some people believe that mixing tobacco with cannabis helps to stave off hunger. Both cannabis and tobacco are regarded as aids to improve concentration. In that sense, the tobacco industry need not fear cannabis as its legalization will not mean the extinction of tobacco. There may be a reduction in the amount of tobacco consumed, with the substituting of tobacco with cannabis. This will help to bring down tobacco consumption to much safer levels both individually and on the whole. The ideal is where most people smoke cannabis and a few people smoke tobacco in limited quantities like it was before the prohibition of cannabis and the rise and dominance of tobacco.

 

Globally, even as tobacco poses serious threats to public health and the environment, governments and policy makers put on a veneer of concern. They launch massive anti-tobacco campaigns, ban tobacco advertisements on media,  put grotesque pictures of mouth and lung damage caused by tobacco smoking on the tobacco products,  recruit hundreds of celebrities to deliver anti-tobacco messages, illegally fine innocent humans for smoking in open spaces after leaving the smoker with no choice but to smoke tobacco, raise the cost of tobacco incrementally, and create tobacco-control organizations linked to health departments and law enforcement departments. These authorities then earn vast revenue from tobacco sales, allowing multinational tobacco companies to cultivate tobacco and deplete soil fertility. What is by far the worst, obviously, has been the prohibition of cannabis, leaving the public worldwide with no choice but to smoke tobacco. The tobacco lobbies ensure that policymakers do not rock their boat by lifting the ban on cannabis. Any serious attempt to control tobacco harms has failed because these are often initiated by non-smokers, who do not appreciate the pleasures of smoking. They have failed to see the inherent need of humans to smoke, and they have failed to appreciate the differences between tobacco and cannabis. The anti-tobacco movement seems to exist in a bubble of delusion, believing that smoking can be completely eliminated from society, much like the fools who thought that prohibiting ganja would completely eliminate its usage. As Aldous Huxley wrote in his 1954 book, The Doors of Perception, 'Alcohol is incompatible with safety on the roads, and its production, like that of tobacco, condemns to virtual sterility many millions of acres of the most fertile soil. The problems raised by alcohol and tobacco cannot, it goes without saying, be solved by prohibition. The universal and ever-present urge to self-transcendence is not to be abolished by slamming the currently popular Doors in the Wall. The only reasonable policy is to open other, better doors in the hope of inducing men and women to exchange their old bad habits for new and less harmful ones. Some of these other, better doors will be social and technological in nature, others religious or psychological, others dietetic, educational, athletic. But the need for frequent chemical vacations from intolerable selfhood and repulsive surroundings will undoubtedly remain.' But this has not stopped non-smokers from moralizing against cannabis smokers, with many arguments stating that cannabis legalization will further harm the health of non-smokers. What these persons fail to understand is that - for the benefit of one and all - it is better that the cannabis is smoked rather than tobacco. Cannabis is the world's most consumed illegal drug, consumed by more than 250+ million people worldwide, officially, that is. My guess is that the real numbers will easily be more than twice that. Smoking is one of the prescribed methods of disease treatment in the Ayurvedic medical system that involves Panchakarma. People have been smoking for ages, and will continue to do so for as long as humans exist. This cannot be stopped. However we can change what is being smoked to something less harmful to tobacco, and that is cannabis. This will tremendously improve the health of both smokers and non-smokers, and greatly mitigate the harms of tobacco to public health. 

Many of the persons who get offended by a smoker in an open space - where it is not illegal to smoke - do not even think twice about the amount of air pollution that they themselves cause with their daily activities that involve huge carbon footprints. The same fools who wish to prohibited smoking itself entirely from human society seem utterly unconcerned about the real problem of air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels, crop stubble burning, etc. Along with plans to cover large areas of cigarette packaging with grotesque pictures of mouth and lung damage and health warnings, we should also be covering large parts of all our fossil fuel and petrochemical based transportation, industries, products and services with these pictures. An overwhelming percentage of deaths from air pollution are caused by non-renewable fossil fuel emissions, nearly as much as 10 times that of tobacco usage. Even the electricity we produce to charge electric vehicles is still generated primarily from thermal stations. Suggested health warning - 'this vehicle, cloth, plastic, industry, cosmetic, etc, etc is made from fossil fuels/petrochemicals which cause nearly 10 times more deaths through air pollution than tobacco or marijuana smoke'...Pretty much our entire human made areas of the planet would then be covered with health warnings I guess... This fraction of persons who die from smoking consists entirely of tobacco smoking. No case of persons dying due to cannabis smoking have yet been recorded. The disconnect that anti-tobacco lobbies have with cannabis - as a realistic, sustainable and workable solution to the tobacco problem - is quite apparent. Oxford University Press reports that 'While the effects of tobacco control policies on smoking are well-established, little research has considered how the liberalization of cannabis policies may affect these relationships, which is important given the co-use of these substances. This paper provides evidence that the liberalization of cannabis laws has not adversely affected tobacco control efforts.' This frustrating attitude of policymakers means that cannabis continues to exist in the most severe category of controlled substances lists worldwide, while tobacco is freely available and accessible. Marijuana Moment reports that '“Well, it depends on the tobacco. I mean, cigarettes are the number one preventable cause of death in the United States,” Woodcock said. “So when you take that figure into account, the fact that marijuana, cannabis, is a Schedule I drug, it’s hard, It’s apples and oranges. There is a great deal of mortality and morbidity from cigarette smoking, and that’s been well-established.” While smoking any combustable product is a health risk, it’s frustrating to advocates that the commissioner was unwilling to acknowledge that federal policy on marijuana is severely at odds with laws on tobacco in a way that doesn’t serve public health interests. If cigarette smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S., it stands to reason that the official could at least recognize that marijuana is not “much more dangerous.”'

Law enforcement worldwide abuse anti-smoking laws to illegally fine people smoking in open spaces, when law enforcement jurisdiction in this matter is limited to only public places. Both law enforcement and the public appear to remain ignorant of this fact. Or maybe it is only the public; with law enforcement exploiting the loophole for its own benefit, extorting vast sums of money from the public, generally the vulnerable sections of society - such as the poor and the youth - worldwide everyday. The only instance where I have seen a correct interpretation of anti-smoking laws has been in the New York Police Department. Marijuana Moment reports that 'The New York Police Department (NYPD) on Thursday sent a memo to officers updating them on new policies for marijuana after the governor signed a legalization bill into law this week. Among other changes, police can no longer arrest adults 21 and older for simply using marijuana in places where smoking tobacco is permitted—and that includes “on sidewalks, on front stoops and other public places,” the document states. “As a result, smoking marihuana in any of these locations is not a basis for an approach, stop, summons, arrest or search.”' I have personally been stopped on the street, on more than one occasion, by the local police in my residential area for smoking on the street. Each time I have had to explain to them that smoking on the street is not illegal, because the street is an open space. These officers however insist that the street is a public place. I then explain to them what a public place is, as per India's Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA) 2003 definition. The definition of a public place, as defined in Sec 3 (l) of the COPTA 2003 is as follows - '"public place" means any place to which the public have access, whether as of right or not, and includes auditorium, hospital buildings, railway waiting room, amusement centres, restaurants, public offices, court buildings, educational institutions, libraries, public conveyances, and the like which are visited by the general public but does not include any open space;' It appears to me that a number of the police and judiciary are themselves ignorant, or deliberately ignore, what the COPTA rules state, and harass smoking members of the public, many of who are also themselves equally ignorant of these rules. The examples of what constitutes a public place, and the specific words 'BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY OPEN SPACE' are part of the Act to specifically prevent harassment of the smoker by high-handed officials of law enforcement and judiciary, but this is ignored by one and all, and the smoker is being increasingly treated like an untouchable. If the reduction of tobacco harms to society is the sincere intent of law enforcement and judiciary, then a more stringent focus on the majority of the 33 clauses of the COPTA, which deal with the producer and distributor of tobacco must be the priority, not targeting the final consumer. Even more so, if the reduction of tobacco harms is an aim of society, then the legalization of ganja, and the re-introduction of hemp cigarettes on a mass scale - as that was what India smoked before tobacco was introduced by the colonists about 200 years ago - should be the focus of law makers and law enforcers...

The changing perceptions, and the increasing awareness of the harms of tobacco as compared to cannabis have only increased in recent times with increased cannabis legalization. This is especially among the younger generations who are yet to get hooked onto tobacco like the older generations. Marijuana Moment reports, in 2024, that 'Significantly more Americans now say they smoke marijuana than cigarettes—with young people being more than five times more likely to consume cannabis than tobacco, according to new Gallup polling data. Overall, 17 percent of Americans say they smoke cannabis, compared to 12 percent who reported smoking any cigarettes in the past week. The difference is especially stark when it comes to younger adults. Among those aged 18-34, 26 percent said they use cannabis, compared to just 5 percent who smoke cigarettes. Eighteen percent of adults aged 35-54 smoke marijuana, which is also more than smoke cigarettes (16 percent). Adults 55 and older, however, were slightly more likely to smoke cigarettes in the past week (13 percent) than who smoke cannabis (11 percent).' My Journal Courier reports that 'Nearly twice as many Americans believe that smoking cigarettes is more hazardous to your health than smoking marijuana. They’re right. Numerous studies assessing the long-term health impacts of cannabis smoke exposure belie the myth that marijuana is associated with the same sort of well established, adverse respiratory hazards as tobacco.' The media, however, continues to support the propaganda that cannabis is more harmful than tobacco. Marijuana Moment reports that 'A growing percentage of Americans perceive smoking cannabis to be less dangerous than smoking tobacco cigarettes. They’re correct, but you wouldn’t know it from reading the recent slew of media headlines. “Many Americans wrongly believe exposure to marijuana smoke is safer than tobacco,” screamed CNN. Coverage of the survey data in Everyday Health warned, “People Underestimate the Health Risks of Smoking Marijuana.” Syndicated coverage of the study by US News and World Report similarly lamented, “More Americans Than Ever Believe Marijuana Smoke is Safer Than Cigarette Smoke. They’re Wrong.” In fact, it’s the news media that’s in error.' NORML also reported, regarding the changing perceptions among the American public, that 'Researchers surveyed over 5,000 respondents on their views regarding smoking. Forty-three percent of respondents perceived the daily smoking of one cannabis cigarette to be either “much safer” or “somewhat safer” than the daily use of tobacco cigarettes — up from 36 percent in 2017. About 30 percent of respondents viewed the two products as equally dangerous to health. Younger respondents were most likely to have shifted their views over time, whereas retirees were least likely to have done so. Forty percent of respondents perceived exposure to second-hand marijuana smoke to be either “much safer” or “somewhat safer” than tobacco smoke, up from 35 percent in 2017. Although the study’s lead author criticized Americans’ changing perceptions toward cannabis, numerous scientific studies reinforce the fact that cannabis smoke exposure poses far fewer risks to health than does tobacco. For example, longitudinal studies show that cannabis smoking, even long-term, is not associated with an increased risk of either lung cancer, COPD, or other significant adverse effects on pulmonary function. Other studies indicate that cannabis smoke and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic and that subjects who exclusively smoke cannabis possess a reduced level of exposure to harmful toxicants and carcinogens than do those who smoke tobacco cigarettes. Some researchers have also theorized that cannabinoids’ anti-cancer activities may offset some of the harms otherwise associated with inhaling combustive smoke. According to longitudinal study data published last year in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, “[I]t is increasingly clear that cannabis has different effects on lung function [as compared] to tobacco and the effects of widespread cannabis use will not necessarily mirror the harms caused by tobacco smoking.”'

Globally, the most medicinal cannabis has been taken out of the picture, leaving the public to meet its most natural, and basic, intoxication needs with government-supplied alcohol, tobacco, and synthetic pharmaceutical prescription drugs. Legally, that is. Illegally, the need for intoxication is being met with dangerous synthetic drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and abuse of synthetic pharmaceutical prescription drugs. Besides the government, the medical industry works with the other opponents of cannabis - the pharmaceutical industry, the fossil fuel industry, the alcohol industry, the tobacco industry, law and drug enforcement, etc., - to keep cannabis prohibited. As Huxley writes, 'Most of these modifiers of consciousness cannot now be taken except under doctor's orders, or else illegally and at considerable risk. For unrestricted use the West has permitted only alcohol and tobacco. All the other chemical Doors in the Wall are labelled Dope, and their unauthorized takers are Fiends.'  

 

The UN must legalize cannabis for all purposes i.e. recreational, medical, agricultural, spiritual and industrial purposes, and in all forms - resin, flower and leaves including high delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis - since THC is the most beneficial compound in the plant. While we wait for the UN to come around to doing this, as an immediate step, every nation can introduce low THC cannabis in the form of smokable cigarettes to cut down tobacco consumption, besides all the above listed benefits of cultivating cannabis. Global awareness of this very important aspect of public health must not be neglected any longer. If home growing is legalized - which is the first, and most essential step in ganja legalization - a person can grow 5-6 plants at home. I visualize a future where I have seven sacks of homegrown ganja of seven different varieties...I smoke 7 joints or mini-chillums a day of pure ganja without tobacco...Each smoke is prepared from a different variety...seven days a week...365 days a year...the varieties keep changing...Now, that would be nice...In a situation like that, I may probably feel the urge to smoke 4-5 beedis (or maybe not even that) as against the current 10-12 that I smoke daily...This, I suspect, would be the typical pattern of most moderate smokers, either buying their ganja from a retail outlet, or growing the ganja themselves. The pricing of ganja must be such that the poorest persons can access it and smoke it, at least at similar rates. Tobacco can be priced out of the range of the poor and the middle-classes for all I care, with increasing taxation and regulatory curbs to try and reign in the public health monster that governments and businessmen themselves unleashed on society. Even a single drag from a good ganja joint is more pleasurable, stimulating, intoxicating and medicinal than smoking 40 cigarettes of tobacco. If you are a smoker, then switching over from tobacco to cannabis will save not just your health but also the health of the planet. If you are a non-smoker, the realization that cannabis prohibition was aided by, and helped unleash the tobacco problem, should make you include cannabis legalization as the foremost of global tobacco control activities - that is, if you as a non-smoker really care about public health and the state of the planet.

Related Articles

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

 

Significantly more Americans now say they smoke marijuana than cigarettes—with young people being more than five times more likely to consume cannabis than tobacco, according to new Gallup polling data.

Overall, 17 percent of Americans say they smoke cannabis, compared to 12 percent who reported smoking any cigarettes in the past week.

The difference is especially stark when it comes to younger adults. Among those aged 18-34, 26 percent said they use cannabis, compared to just 5 percent who smoke cigarettes.

Eighteen percent of adults aged 35-54 smoke marijuana, which is also more than smoke cigarettes (16 percent).

Adults 55 and older, however, were slightly more likely to smoke cigarettes in the past week (13 percent) than who smoke cannabis (11 percent).

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/young-americans-are-five-times-more-likely-to-smoke-marijuana-than-cigarettes-gallup-poll-shows/


Nearly twice as many Americans believe that smoking cigarettes is more hazardous to your health than smoking marijuana.

They’re right.

Numerous studies assessing the long-term health impacts of cannabis smoke exposure belie the myth that marijuana is associated with the same sort of well established, adverse respiratory hazards as tobacco.

https://www.myjournalcourier.com/opinion/article/commentary-18392796.php


Americans consider marijuana to be less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, vapes and other tobacco products, according to new data from Gallup. And at the same time, cannabis use has “surpassed cigarette usage in the U.S., while vaping still trails both,” the polling firm says.

The survey represents a continuation of a years-long trend, with American adults increasingly abandoning cigarettes as awareness of their public health risks expands. The data shows an opposite trend for marijuana, with perceptions of harm decreasing as more states legalize its use and more adults identify as active consumers.

Respondents were asked about seven different substances and whether they viewed them as “very,” “somewhat” or “not too/not at all” harmful. Two in five Americans (40 percent) said that marijuana was not too, or not at all, harmful.

That’s 10 times as many people who said that cigarettes were relatively harmless (four percent) and more than double the percentage who said the same about alcohol (16 percent).

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/americans-view-marijuana-as-safer-than-alcohol-and-cigarettes-as-rates-of-cannabis-use-surpass-tobacco-smoking-gallup-poll-finds/


A growing percentage of Americans perceive smoking cannabis to be less dangerous than smoking tobacco cigarettes. They’re correct, but you wouldn’t know it from reading the recent slew of media headlines.

“Many Americans wrongly believe exposure to marijuana smoke is safer than tobacco,” screamed CNN. Coverage of the survey data in Everyday Health warned, “People Underestimate the Health Risks of Smoking Marijuana.” Syndicated coverage of the study by US News and World Report similarly lamented, “More Americans Than Ever Believe Marijuana Smoke is Safer Than Cigarette Smoke. They’re Wrong.”

In fact, it’s the news media that’s in error.

Numerous studies assessing the long-term health impacts of cannabis smoke exposure belie the myth that marijuana is associated with the same sort of well established, adverse respiratory hazards as tobacco.

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/lets-dispel-the-myth-that-cannabis-and-tobacco-smoke-are-equally-hazardous-to-health-op-ed/


Colorado generated more tax revenue from marijuana than alcohol or cigarettes during the last fiscal year, with $280 million in cannabis tax dollars going toward a variety of government programs and services like K–12 education and health care.

An analysis from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff (LCS) released on Wednesday showed that even though annual marijuana tax revenue has decreased significantly over the past two years, marijuana sales are still contributing more funds to Colorado’s budget than other regulated substances.

In fact, tax revenue from marijuana in the past year amounted to nearly as much as the state generated from alcohol ($56 million) and cigarettes ($234 million) combined. Cannabis tax revenue also surpassed that of non-cigarette tobacco products ($61 million) and nicotine products ($56 million) in Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/colorados-marijuana-tax-brought-in-more-revenue-than-alcohol-or-cigarettes-last-year-new-state-report-shows/


Researchers surveyed over 5,000 respondents on their views regarding smoking. Forty-three percent of respondents perceived the daily smoking of one cannabis cigarette to be either “much safer” or “somewhat safer” than the daily use of tobacco cigarettes — up from 36 percent in 2017. About 30 percent of respondents viewed the two products as equally dangerous to health. Younger respondents were most likely to have shifted their views over time, whereas retirees were least likely to have done so.

Forty percent of respondents perceived exposure to second-hand marijuana smoke to be either “much safer” or “somewhat safer” than tobacco smoke, up from 35 percent in 2017.

Although the study’s lead author criticized Americans’ changing perceptions toward cannabis, numerous scientific studies reinforce the fact that cannabis smoke exposure poses far fewer risks to health than does tobacco. For example, longitudinal studies show that cannabis smoking, even long-term, is not associated with an increased risk of either lung cancer, COPD, or other significant adverse effects on pulmonary function.

Other studies indicate that cannabis smoke and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic and that subjects who exclusively smoke cannabis possess a reduced level of exposure to harmful toxicants and carcinogens than do those who smoke tobacco cigarettes. Some researchers have also theorized that cannabinoids’ anti-cancer activities may offset some of the harms otherwise associated with inhaling combustive smoke.

According to longitudinal study data published last year in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, “[I]t is increasingly clear that cannabis has different effects on lung function [as compared] to tobacco and the effects of widespread cannabis use will not necessarily mirror the harms caused by tobacco smoking.”

https://norml.org/blog/2023/08/14/survey-highlights-changing-perceptions-regarding-cannabis-and-tobacco/

 

 

'Judge Harper had run the whole show with an evil glint in his eye, enduring a shitrain of perjury from both sides and day after day of relentless haggling and posturing by teams of Palm Beach lawyers and a circus parade of rich fools, dumb hustlers, and dope fiends who were all getting famous just for being in his courtroom - where smoking was not allowed, except for the judge, who smoked constantly.

- A Dog Took My Place, July 21, 1983, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
 

 

'“[T]he ability of WPE [whole-plant cannabis extract] to reduce opioid reward and drug seeking behavior appears quite robust and of great clinical utility,” authors concluded. “Additional systematic research is required to fully evaluate the potential for CBD to serve as an adjunct treatment for opioid use disorder.”

A limited number of clinical trials have previously demonstrated the ability of CBD to mitigate subjects’ cravings for various substances, including heroin, tobacco, and cannabis. Other studies indicate that CBD may also play a role in mitigating symptoms of opioid withdrawal. According to a 2020 review paper, “[E]vidence … demonstrates the potential [of] cannabis to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms, reduce opioid consumption, ameliorate opioid cravings, prevent opioid relapse, improve OUD treatment retention, and reduce overdose deaths.”'

https://norml.org/news/2023/03/23/cbd-administration-mitigates-opioid-cravings-in-animals/

 

More Americans now favor legal cannabis than legal tobacco, surveys show, signaling a sharp societal shift from an era when cigarette-smoking was legal pretty much everywhere and pot-smoking was legal absolutely nowhere.

Fifty-seven percent of American adults would support “a policy prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in a research brief last month.

A slightly larger majority, 59 percent, believe marijuana should be legal for both medical and recreational use, according to a Pew Research survey conducted in October. Another 30 percent approve of cannabis for medical use alone. Only 10 percent of the American public believes marijuana should not be legal at all.

https://pix11.com/news/americans-now-favor-legal-cannabis-over-legal-tobacco/
 

 

'It was a very weird trip, probably one of the weirdest things I've ever done, and especially weird because both Nixon and I enjoyed it. We had a good talk, and when we got to the airport, I stood around the Learjet with Dick and the others, chatting in a very relaxed way about how successful his swing through New Hampshire had been...and as he climbed into the plane it seemed only natural to thank him for the ride and shake hands...

But suddenly I was seized from behind and jerked away from the plane. Good God, I thought as I reeled backwards, here we go..."Watch out!" somebody was shouting. "Get the cigarette!" A hand lashed out of the darkness to snatch the cigarette out of my mouth, then other hands kept me from falling and I recognized the voice of Nick Ruwe, Nixon's chief advance man for New Hampshire, saying, "Goddamn it, Hunter, you almost blew up the plane!"

I shrugged. He was right. I'd been leaning over the fuel tank with a burning butt in my mouth. Nixon smiled and reached out to shake hands again, while Ruwe muttered darkly and the others stared down the asphalt.'

- The Campaign Trail: Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, March 2, 1972, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
 

 

Regulators in California collected the largest amount of excise tax revenue ($774 million) while regulators in Alaska collected the least ($30 million).

In the two states with the most mature adult-use cannabis markets – Colorado and Washington – cannabis excise tax revenues outpaced those collected on the sale of alcohol and tobacco. “Broadly speaking, the experience of Colorado and Washington demonstrate that a state can collect a significant amount of revenue from marijuana taxes and that collection should mostly increase over time,” the report’s authors wrote.

The Center’s analysis did not tabulate additional revenues generated from state sales taxes and/or locally imposed taxes on cannabis products.

https://norml.org/news/2022/10/13/analysis-marijuana-excise-taxes-yield-nearly-3-billion-in-revenue-in-fiscal-year-2022
 

 

'Director Robert Mujica Jr., state analysts said that New York stands to generate about $20 million in revenue from adult-use cannabis business license fees next year. And as the market matures, marijuana tax revenue and license fees are expected to generate $245 million by fiscal year 2025.

At the same time, cigarette tax revenue is expected to continue to decline, dropping from $972 million in the 2022 fiscal year to $852 million in 2025.

The state said that “along with the second year of license fees, the State’s THC-based and retail excise taxes on the sale of adult-use cannabis products are projected to generate $115 million,” and those increases “are partially offset by a continued decline in taxable cigarette consumption.”

In other words, New York is seeing the same trend that’s playing out nationally. People are smoking fewer cigarettes while more adults are trying cannabis. And creating a regulated market for marijuana is helping to create an alternative revenue source for states that legalize.

Part of the reason behind that trend seems to be public perception. A 2018 Gallup poll found that 96 percent of Americans view cigarettes as either “very harmful” or “somewhat harmful,” compared to only 56 percent of respondents said the same about cannabis.'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-york-officials-say-marijuana-tax-revenue-will-help-fill-budget-gap-from-declining-cigarette-sales/

 

 

'A team of researchers affiliated with the University of California at Irvine and with Pennsylvania State University assessed the relationship between medical cannabis legalization laws and cigarette initiation among adolescents.

They concluded: “Our results indicate lower odds of initiating cigarettes, in every age group (8 years old or younger, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17 years old or older) in states with MMLs [medical marijuana laws] when compared to non-MML states. … Further research should evaluate how MMLs and recreational marijuana policies are associated with e-cigarette initiation and use.”'

https://norml.org/news/2021/08/19/study-medical-cannabis-laws-associated-with-declines-in-youth-cigarette-use

 

'While the effects of tobacco control policies on smoking are well-established, little research has considered how the liberalization of cannabis policies may affect these relationships, which is important given the co-use of these substances. This paper provides evidence that the liberalization of cannabis laws has not adversely affected tobacco control efforts.'

https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntab149/6323257?redirectedFrom=fulltext

 

'Researchers with the University of California, San Diego assessed the use of CBD or placebo in nicotine-dependent rats during periods of acute and protracted abstinence.

Investigators reported that CBD dosing “prevented” rats from exhibiting various signs of nicotine withdrawal. These findings “suggest that using CBD as a strategy to alleviate withdrawal symptoms upon nicotine cessation may be beneficial,” they concluded.

Separate animal models have demonstrated the ability of CBD to reduce cravings for alcohol and cocaine, while human studies have reported associations between CBD intake and reduced desires for alcohol, cocaine, heroin, tobacco, and cannabis. '

https://norml.org/news/2021/07/22/animal-data-cbd-administration-mitigates-symptoms-of-nicotine-withdrawal

 

'Emerging plant-based vaccine technology will not only help the world respond to the current and future pandemics but also offers an opportunity to expand vaccine production to developing countries, according to Hefferon. Vaccines remain a cornerstone of public health, preventing some 4 to 5 million deaths each year. And yet many places around the world lack access to vaccines for measles, meningitis, and whooping cough. That means that some 1.5 million people a year still die from preventable infectious diseases.

“There is an overwhelming vaccine inequality between the rich and the poor countries, and maybe if you can increase the amount of different manufacturing platforms, then you can make more vaccines more quickly for more people,” says Tregoning'

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/your-next-vaccine-could-be-grown-in-a-tobacco-plant

 

'An international team of investigators from Switzerland and the United States assessed the relationship between the use of tobacco and/or cannabis and the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in a cohort of 3,257 subjects.

Authors reported that lifetime exposure to tobacco over a 20-year period was “strongly associated” with subclinical atherosclerosis, whereas the cumulative use of cannabis alone was not – a finding that is consistent with prior research.

They concluded, “This study adds to the growing body of evidence that there might be no association between the average population level of marijuana use and subclinical atherosclerosis.”'

https://norml.org/news/2021/07/01/marijuana-use-not-associated-with-increased-risk-of-atherosclerosis

 

'“Well, it depends on the tobacco. I mean, cigarettes are the number one preventable cause of death in the United States,” Woodcock said. “So when you take that figure into account, the fact that marijuana, cannabis, is a Schedule I drug, it’s hard, It’s apples and oranges. There is a great deal of mortality and morbidity from cigarette smoking, and that’s been well-established.”

While smoking any combustable product is a health risk, it’s frustrating to advocates that the commissioner was unwilling to acknowledge that federal policy on marijuana is severely at odds with laws on tobacco in a way that doesn’t serve public health interests.

If cigarette smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S., it stands to reason that the official could at least recognize that marijuana is not “much more dangerous.”'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/fda-head-refuses-to-say-whether-marijuana-is-more-dangerous-than-tobacco/

 

'Authors speculated that the disparity in subjects’ exposure to harmful toxins may be due in part to differences in the frequency with which cannabis-only smokers consume the substance as compared to tobacco smokers.

The study’s findings are consistent with prior research concluding that cannabis smoke and tobacco smoke are likely not equally carcinogenic, and that marijuana smoke exposure is typically not associated with the same type of deleterious effects to health as is tobacco smoke exposure.

Moreover, the use of vaporization technology, which heats herbal cannabis to a set temperature below the point of combustion, is associated with reduced exposure to toxic gasses and has been identified as a “safe and effective” cannabis delivery device in clinical trial settings.'

https://norml.org/news/2021/06/24/study-cannabis-smokers-exposed-to-fewer-toxicants-than-tobacco-smokers

 

'Highlights

• Following initiation of medical cannabis use, 320 (49%) of participants that used tobacco/nicotine (T/N) reported reductions in use.
• Odds of T/N cessation were greater amongst those who were age 55 or older or that reported >25 T/N uses per day.
• Specific intent to use medical cannabis in T/N reduction/cessation efforts resulted in significantly greater odds of reducing T/N use.'

https://www.journalofsubstanceabusetreatment.com/article/S0740-5472(21)00207-5/fulltext

 

'Results
Co-users [tobacco and cannabis] and ET [exclusive tobacco] smokers had higher levels of exhaled carbon monoxide, total nicotine equivalents, metabolites of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNAL), and all four measured mercapturic acids (measures of volatile organic compounds) than ECa smokers (ps < .005). ET smokers (geometric mean (GM) = 7220.2 pmol/mg) had higher levels of 2-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid than co-users (GM = 5348.7 adjusted p = .009). Phenanthrene tetraol did not differ by group (p > .05).

Discussion
Co-users and ET smokers demonstrated comparable levels of biomarkers of exposure to harmful constituents despite smoking similar amounts of tobacco. ECa [exclusive cannabis] smokers demonstrated lower levels of toxicant exposure for most biomarkers.'

https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntab125/6297574

 

"What?" I almost shouted. " A bum? A hippie?" I lit another cigarette or maybe two, not realizing or even thinking about the gross transgressions I was committing by smoking and drinking in the presence of The Champ. (Conrad told me later that nobody smokes or drinks in the same room with Muhammad Ali - and Jesus Christ! Not - of all places - in the sacred privacy of his own bedroom at midnight, where I had no business being in the first place)...But I was mercifully and obviously ignorant of what I was doing. Smoking and drinking and tossing off crude bursts of language are not second nature to me, but first - and my mood, at that point, was still so mean and jangled that it took me about ten minutes of foul-mouthed raving before I began to get a grip on myself.

- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson

'Subjects ages 55 and older, as well as those who expressed intentions to quit tobacco, were most likely to reduce their tobacco/nicotine use.

Authors concluded: “Results from this retrospective survey of medical cannabis users suggest that initiation of medical cannabis use was associated with self-reported reductions and/or cessation of T/N [tobacco/nicotine]. … In light of the significant morbidity, mortality, and health care costs related to T/N dependence, future research should further evaluate the potential of cannabis-based treatments to support efforts to reduce or cease T/N use.”'

https://norml.org/news/2021/05/27/initiation-of-medical-cannabis-precedes-self-reported-reductions-in-tobacco-use

 

'Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera warned on Wednesday that his country's leading foreign exchange earner, tobacco, was in terminal decline and he urged a switch to high-growth crops like cannabis, which was legalised locally for some uses last year.

Chakwera made the comments during a state of the nation address in which he said tobacco was expected to earn less than $200 million in 2021, a figure roughly similar to the past two years but well below previous annual earnings that used to top $350 million.'

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/malawi-president-revises-down-2021-growth-forecast-38-covid-19-woes-2021-05-12/

 

'Multinational tobacco company Philip Morris International reportedly is analyzing the marijuana industry for its market possibilities but hasn’t yet determined its next move.

The New York-based cigarette maker told Bloomberg News that it is looking at the potential pharmaceutical and consumer plays and assessing such factors as cannabis benefits and risks.

“We are doing all this work and will determine one day what avenues to pursue,” Chief Executive Officer Andre Calantzopoulos told Bloomberg in an interview.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/tobacco-giant-philip-morris-eyes-marijuana-market-opportunities/

 

'The New York Police Department (NYPD) on Thursday sent a memo to officers updating them on new policies for marijuana after the governor signed a legalization bill into law this week.

Among other changes, police can no longer arrest adults 21 and older for simply using marijuana in places where smoking tobacco is permitted—and that includes “on sidewalks, on front stoops and other public places,” the document states. “As a result, smoking marihuana in any of these locations is not a basis for an approach, stop, summons, arrest or search.”'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/cops-cant-arrest-you-for-smoking-marijuana-on-sidewalks-nypd-says-in-post-legalization-memo/

 

'We’ve already seen the influence of these corporate interests. In some instances, many of these same people have lobbied against consumer-friendly legalization provisions, such as the right for adults to cultivate marijuana in the privacy of their homes. These corporate entities also have pushed for statewide limits on the number of licensed cannabis producers and retailers, in an effort to keep prices and supply artificially limited — and to keep the economic benefits of legalization largely out of the reach of average Americans, especially people of color.'

https://norml.org/blog/2021/03/12/big-alcohol-and-big-tobacco-coalition-emerges-to-shape-legalization-in-their-favor/

 

'A subsidiary of cigarette maker British American Tobacco (BAT) and Atlantic Canada-based marijuana producer Organigram signed a 220 million Canadian dollar ($175 million) strategic collaboration with a focus on research and product development.

The deal is less about Canada and more about laying the groundwork to capitalize on the growing global marketplace for cannabinoid-based products and delivery systems, experts say.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/british-american-tobacco-buying-stake-in-cannabis-producer-organigram/

 

'“We are indeed going to think about, and we are going beyond, just the tobacco and nicotine space,” said Wheaton, who added that CBD is an “exciting growth area for our business for the future.”'

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/17/lucky-strike-seller-british-american-tobacco-is-looking-at-cannabis-cbd.html

 

'While hemp cigarettes are nothing new, the CEO says smokers often complain that smoking a hemp cigarette tastes too much like cannabis. “A smoker wants something that tastes like a cigarette, not something that tastes like a joint, so we put a lot of effort into creating a product that would behave like a cigarette. Once we figured out that process, we put a patent on it.”'

https://www.forbes.com/sites/amandasiebert/2021/02/03/taat-the-company-on-keith-gills-notepad-making-hemp-cigarettes-that-taste-like-tobacco/

 

'After legalizing the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use Zimbabwe's export earnings outstrip tobacco by three-time when compared to 2019, according to a report by Moneyweb.'

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/national/1356657-cannabis-to-emerge-as-biggest-cash-crop-in-zimbabwe-says-treasury
 

 

'“Our view as regulator is that if we get honest investors, the hemp industry can supplement export revenues from tobacco, and in some cases, surpass it. But it will not immediately replace tobacco,” he added.

Malawi’s earnings from tobacco have fallen dramatically over the years in part due to declining demand and poor weather.

During the 2020 season, Malawi’s tobacco output fell by 31.3%, resulting in a 26.4% decline in the country’s overall tobacco revenues.'

https://www.reuters.com/article/malawi-cannabis/malawi-ready-to-produce-cannabis-for-industrial-and-medicinal-use-idUSL8N2IA4VV
 

 

'Thirdhand smoke (THS) deposits to surfaces following smoking events and is a source of chemical exposure to humans. However, the evolution of THS in indoor environments is not well understood. Cannabis THS is a chemically distinct and prevalent form of THS, which has not been studied. The heterogeneous reaction of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a major component of cannabis smoke, with ozone was examined as a pure compound and within cannabis smoke. Oxidative decay via ozonolysis and product formation were monitored by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Epoxide, dicarbonyl, and secondary ozonide THC reaction products were detected from both pure THC and cannabis experiments, with the product ratios dependent on relative humidity. The observed reaction kinetics for loss of THC on glass and cotton surfaces are consistent with a relatively short loss lifetime, which will be strongly dependent on the film thickness, ozone mixing ratio, and ozone reactivity of the surface substrate. The low volatility of THC and its oxidation products suggest that their contributions to thirdhand cannabis smoke will be less significant than the role that nicotine plays in thirdhand tobacco smoke.'

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c03728

 

 

'They concluded, “In the first randomized clinical trial of cannabidiol for cannabis use disorder, cannabidiol [doses of] 400 mg and 800 mg were safe and more efficacious than placebo at reducing cannabis use.”

Prior clinical trials have reported that CBD administration is associated with reduced cravings for both heroin and tobacco. A literature review published in the journal Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment previously concluded, “CBD seems to have direct effects on addictive behaviors.”'

https://norml.org/news/2020/08/06/clinical-trial-cbd-administration-associated-with-greater-likelihood-of-cannabis-abstinence-among-those-seeking-to-quit
 

 

'There is less habit to weed than there is to tobacco. Weed does not harm the general health. In fact. most users claim it gives you an appetite and acts as a tonic to the system. I do not know of any other agent that gives as definite a boot to the appetite. I can smoke a stick of tea and enjoy a glass of California sherry and a hash house meal.' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953


'Most of these modifiers of consciousness cannot now be taken except under doctor's orders, or else illegally and at considerable risk. For unrestricted use the West has permitted only alcohol and tobacco. All the other chemical Doors in the Wall are labelled Dope, and their unauthorized takers are Fiends.' - The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley, 1954.


'Ours is the age, among other things, of the automobile and of rocketing population. Alcohol is incompatible with safety on the roads, and its production, like that of tobacco, condemns to virtual sterility many millions of acres of the most fertile soil. The problems raised by alcohol and tobacco cannot, it goes without saying, be solved by prohibition. The universal and ever-present urge to self-transcendence is not to be abolished by slamming the currently popular Doors in the Wall. The only reasonable policy is to open other, better doors in the hope of inducing men and women to exchange their old bad habits for new and less harmful ones. Some of these other, better doors will be social and technological in nature, others religious or psychological, others dietetic, educational, athletic. But the need for frequent chemical vacations from intolerable selfhood and repulsive surroundings will undoubtedly remain.'  - The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley, 1954.


'According to the survey, 81 percent of respondents believe that tobacco cigarettes are "very harmful." Fifty-one percent of respondents similarly view alcohol as "very harmful." By contrast, only 26 percent of those surveyed ranked marijuana as "very harmful." '
https://norml.org/news/2019/08/29/poll-americans-view-cigarettes-and-alcohol-as-more-harmful-than-cannabis


'The overall displacement or cannibalization of tobacco by cannabis products in California alone amounted to $84.5 million overall from 2017-2018 (not including 2017 e-cigarettes, figures for which were not available). The shifts amounted to $33.8 million for cigarettes, $8.3 million for non-cigarette tobacco, and $42.6 million for e-cigarettes (in 2018 only).

Across the U.S. overall, the 2018 spending shifts amounted to $4.3 billion for alcohol: (1.54% of that market), $1.3 billion for pharmaceuticals (1.10%), and $219 million (0.22%) for tobacco.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/altria-pmi-merger-confirms-longtime-predictions-marks-industry-progression/

 

 
'The plane took off and I rode back to the Holiday Inn with Nick Ruwe. We laughed about the cigarette scare, but he was still brooding. "What worries me," he said, "is that nobody else noticed it. Christ, those guys get paid to protect the Boss..."

"Very bad show," I said, "especially when you remember that I did about three king-size Marlboros while we were standing there. Hell, I was flicking the butts away, lighting new ones...you people are lucky I'm a sane, responsible journalist; otherwise I might have hurled my flaming Zippo into the fuel tank."

"Not you," he said. "Egomaniacs don't do that kind of thing." He smiled. "You wouldn't do something you couldn't live to write about, would you?"

"You're probably right," I said. "Kamikaze is not my style. I much prefer subtleties, the low-key approach - because I am, after all, a professional."

"We know. That's why you're along."

- The Campaign Trail: Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, March 2, 1972, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson

'Although the Cannabis Act introduced a variety of classes of cannabis licences, including for smaller producers, the federal Government requires that a potential supplier have a production facility in place, meaning that the supplier will have already made a substantial investment prior to applying for a licence. Some have speculated that this has contributed to deterring small entrepreneurs from applying for licences and may have favoured the emergence of a market dominated or even monopolized by a relatively small number of large, multi-billion-dollar businesses. There have also been reports of the alcohol, tobacco and finance industries investing in companies involved in nonmedical cannabis production. For instance, according to media sources, in October 2017 Constellation Brands, a major international producer of wine, beer and spirits, invested $4 billion to acquire a 9.9 per cent stake in Canopy Growth, the leading Canadian producer, to develop cannabis-based beverages. By the end of December 2019, Constellation owned a 35 per cent stake in Canopy. In December 2018, the tobacco company Altria made a $1.8 million investment in Cronos Group, a cannabis production company, giving Altria a 45 per cent interest in Cronos. Earlier in the year, Molson Coors Brewing, another multinational alcohol company, signed a joint venture with Quebec-based HEXO to develop and market cannabis-infused beverages. Market analysts have predicted that the alcohol industry will also invest in companies that plan to produce beverages that combine cannabis and beer and, in particular, they predicted that by the end of 2019 two of the largest cannabis companies in the world would be owned by two of the largest alcohol and tobacco companies' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf


'Cannabis exposure does not negatively impact the lungs in a manner consistent with tobacco, nor is it similarly linked to elevated rates of either COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or lung cancer, according a literature review published in the journal Addiction.

A team of New Zealand researchers reviewed clinical trial data assessing the impact of cannabis smoke exposure on the lungs. They report that "the effects of smoking cannabis on the lungs are distinct from tobacco."

Specifically, they write: "[I]t has been pragmatic to assume that cannabis and tobacco would have similar respiratory effects. ... The research that has been done, however, offers a different story. The most common serious respiratory consequences from smoking tobacco are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Epidemiological evidence that smoking cannabis causes either of these is scant."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/04/23/review-cannabis-smoke-exposure-is-distinct-from-tobacco-not-associated-with-copd-or-lung-cancer

Huxley misses a point or two here..no drug will be universally perfect for all. There will always be a minority (better that than a majority) for whom any drug will be incompatible given different mental and physical constitutions. Also his obsession and faith in the Western system of synthesizing something that can be had in measured doses like pills or alcohol is unnecessary for natural intoxicants where margins are much larger and safer..cannabis is the ideal...peyote and psilocybin too where it is available but not to the extent of cannabis...nature has done the work already, no need for pharmacologists and neurologists to re-invent the wheel...

'Although obviously superior to cocaine, opium, alcohol and tobacco, mescalin is not yet the ideal drug. Along with the happily transfigured majority of mescalin takers there is a minority that finds in the drug only hell or purgatory. Moreover, for a drug that is to be used, like alcohol, for general consumption, its effects last for an inconveniently long time. But chemistry and physiology are capable nowadays of practically anything. If the psychologists and sociologists will define the ideal, the neurologists and pharmacologists can be relied upon to discover the means whereby that ideal can be realized or at least (for this kind of ideal can never, in the very nature of things, be fully realized) more nearly approached than in the wine-bibbing past, the whisky-drinking, marijuana- smoking and barbiturate-swallowing present.' - The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley, 1954.

'Another area of concern in the cannabis debate is the growing influence of and investment by large corporations, especially the alcohol and tobacco industry, which is investing in the cannabis industry in North America. Such developments raise some concerns that, as the market for the non-medical use of cannabis is expanding rapidly, revenue and profits are likely to dictate the course of the nonmedical cannabis industry rather than public health considerations. These concerns are especially pertinent for jurisdictions where the non-medical use of cannabis has been legalized' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_1.pdf

 

 
Tobacco vs marijuana...

'In general, our findings showed that cannabis use over 20 years was unrelated to health problems in early midlife. Across several domains of health (periodontal health, lung function, systemic inflammation, and metabolic health), clear evidence of an adverse association with cannabis use was apparent for only one domain, namely, periodontal health. Cannabis use from ages 26 to 38 years was not associated with within-individual health decline during this 12-year period with the exception of periodontal health. By comparison, tobacco use was associated with worse periodontal health, lung function, systemic inflammation, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and glucose levels in early midlife, as well as health decline from ages 26 to 38 years.'
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2526003


'The team found clear traces of nicotine, a tell-tale compound within tobacco, in residue ringing the inside of the pipe. Animal bones found alongside the pipe were dated to between 1685 and 1530 B.C.E., indicating the pipe is the earliest evidence yet of tobacco smoking in North America, the researchers report today in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports'
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/americans-have-been-lighting-more-3000-years-ancient-pipe-reveals


'First, too much was expected of tobacco. In medieval times, most herbs would be used only for a few conditions in which it was deemed effective—not for a vast range of disorders from head lice to haemorrhoids, from hysteria to tetanus, as happened with tobacco.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1079499/



'As for why marijuana use doesn't seem to increase cancer risk, pulmonary critical care researcher John Hansen-Flaschen of the University of Pennsylvania points out that cigarette smokers puff a lot more cigarettes than do marijuana users--a smoker with a 2-pack-a-day habit lights up 292,000 cigarettes over 20 years, for example. That's probably because marijuana isn't nearly as addictive as tobacco, says epidemiologist Steve Schwartz of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, who conducted the 2004 study.'


Lung exercise...

'In this 20-year study of marijuana and pulmonary function, we confirmed the expected reductions in FEV1 and FVC from tobacco use. In contrast, marijuana use was associated with higher FEV1 and FVC at the low levels of exposure typical for most marijuana users.'
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1104848


'Although regular smoking of marijuana is associated with an increased risk of symptoms of chronic bronchitis and evidence of inflammation and injury involving the larger airways, lung function findings, although mixed, do not provide compelling evidence that habitual marijuana smoking in the manner and amount that it is generally smoked increases the risk of COPD, at least at the population level. Despite the presence of carcinogens in marijuana smoke in concentrations comparable with those that are found in tobacco smoke, the weight of evidence from well-designed epidemiologic studies does not support the concept that habitual marijuana use in the manner and quantity in which it is customarily smoked, when adjusted for tobacco, is a significant risk factor for the development of lung cancer.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012369218307426



'Altria – owner of Marlboro maker Philip Morris USA and an investor in alcohol giant Anheuser-Busch InBev – has been assessing market opportunities in the cannabis industry.If a deal is completed, it would mark the first significant investment in the cannabis sector by a large alcohol or tobacco company since Constellation Brands bought a stake in Ontario-based Canopy Growth.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/cronos-talks-acquisition-marlboro-maker-altria/

 

 

Cannabis meets all these criteria plus it it naturally growing worldwide and has been used for tens of thousands of years...no need for a new drug, we just need to bring it back..reefer madness had clouded even Huxley's mind at the time that this was written...
 
'What is needed is a new drug which will relieve and console our suffering species without doing more harm in the long run than it does good in the short. Such a drug must be potent in minute doses and synthesizable. If it does not possess these qualities, its production, like that of wine, beer, spirits and tobacco will interfere with the raising of indispensible food and fibres. It must be less toxic than opium or cocaine, less likely to produce undesirable social consequences than alcohol or the barbiturates, less inimical to the heart and lungs than the tars and nicotine of cigarettes. And, on the positive side, it should produce changes in consciousness more interesting, more intrinsically valuable than mere sedation or dreaminess, delusions of impotence or release from inhibition.' - The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley, 1954.


'Altria Group, one of the largest tobacco companies in North America, has agreed to invest 2.4 billion Canadian dollars ($1.8 billion) in Ontario-based cannabis producer Cronos Group – the most significant foray by Big Tobacco into the rapidly growing cannabis industry to date.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/altria-cronos-exclusive-partnership/


' One of the world's biggest tobacco companies is diving into the cannabis market with a $1.8 billion buy-in.

Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. is taking a 45 percent stake in Cronos Group, the Canadian medical and recreational marijuana provider said Friday.'
https://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2018/12/marlboro_maker_marijuana_business.html


'The cannabis industry has seen an influx of liquor companies such as Constellation Brands, Molson Coors Brewing, Heineken’s Lagunitas Brewing as well as tobacco firms Pyxus International (formerly Alliance One International), Altria Group (which owns Marlboro maker Philip Morris USA and is an investor in alcohol giant Anheuser-Busch InBev) and Imperial Brands.

Such influx might frighten small business owners in the U.S. marijuana industry, since the entire market has been built by tiny companies with relatively little access to serious capital with which to scale operations.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/marijuana-big-alcohol-tobacco/


And while Hearst had paper in mind, plastic manufacturing companies joined the “Let’s get hemp banned” party to ensure that their petrochemical-based plastics had a leg up over bio-degradable hemp-made plastics. The alcohol and tobacco industries also contribute astronomical sums to fund the “Weed is a dangerous narcotic drug” canard with absolutely zero sense of irony and the pharma industry would prefer that you buy expensive pain killer drugs instead of chewing on some bhang .'
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/rite-of-passage/article5643862.ece


Not just for young smokers, for me too...

'For young smokers, the pleasure of smoking a cigarette is greater when they are also drinking alcohol than when they are also smoking pot, according to a new study.'
https://www.livescience.com/58737-cigarettes-alcohol-pot-combine-drugs.html