Harvard Analysis: Cannabis Smoking Not Linked To Increased Risk of Emphysema, Other Tobacco-Related Harms

June 14, 2025
A person is using a lighter to start smoking a joint.

Cannabis smoking poses fewer pulmonary risks than tobacco smoking and it is not positively associated with the development of emphysema, according to Harvard Medical School researchers.

Participants who smoked tobacco exhibited greater damage to their hearts and lungs than did those who exclusively smoked marijuana. Specifically, tobacco smokers were far more likely to demonstrate moderate to severe coronary artery calcifications and suffer from emphysema. “The findings of our study collectively highlight the distinct patterns of pulmonary and cardiovascular manifestations associated with smoking and marijuana use,” the study’s authors concluded. “It appears that, in general, marijuana users do not appear to develop emphysema or pulmonary hyperinflation.”

Their conclusion is consistent with several other studies finding that cannabis smoke and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic and that marijuana smoke exposure is not linked to higher risks of either COPD, emphysema, lung cancer, or other tobacco-related harms. 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.

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March 4, 2026
Patients diagnosed with insomnia experience sleep-related improvements following their use of medical cannabis preparations, according to long-term observational data published in the journal PLoS Mental Health. Consistent with other studies, participants reported improvements in their sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life. Fewer than 1 in 10 participants reported an adverse event, most of which were categorized as mild or moderate (e.g., fatigue, dry mouth). Over 124 patients were studied over an eighteenth month period with 90% of them claiming they would continue to use cannabis as a way to help with insomnia. NORML. (2026, February 19). Study: Medical cannabis products provide improved sleep outcomes for patients with insomnia. NORML. https://norml.org/news/2026/02/19/study-medical-cannabis-products-provide-improved-sleep-outcomes-for-patients-with-insomnia/
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