Tobacco products are notorious for the respiratory issues they cause, with marijuana smoke often being related to these problems. However, effects of marijuana use (especially with vapes) are often not understood correctly.
Does vaping weed have tar? No! Vaping products do not contain the harmful tar found in cigarettes or other smoking products (so technically you cannot die from vaping weed) Tar is often one of the leading hazards of smoking marijuana, especially if your cannabis is cut with tobacco.
If you smoke medical marijuana, then you still put yourself at a serious health risk for lung damage, and conditions such as Chronic Bronchitis.
Tar as an ingredient in marijuana exists in any and all smoke produced, just like a tobacco cigarette. This includes secondhand marijuana smoke.
While other components in marijuana can have medicinal purposes for pain relief, and blood flow related issues, the effects of marijuana use still come with other complications.
This is why we urge the public against smoking marijuana, and instead choose safer alternatives if you need medical marijuana or even simply use it as a recreational drug.
Secondhand marijuana smoke is dangerous not only for yourself, but the people around you. Containing a cocktail of chemicals and tar that will do long term damage.
However marijuana smokers don’t need to drop the habit entirely. The adverse effects of marijuana use can be mitigated mostly by other cannabis consumables and products.
What is Tar?
Containing a cocktail of cancer causing, lung damaging chemicals, tar is produced by the burning of any plant matter. As such, both tobacco and marijuana smokers are likely to ingest some.
It is for this reason, among the other poisons found in secondhand marijuana smoke, that we encourage the public against smoking marijuana.
With the legalization of cannabis and general upturn in the image of weed since the turn of the century, it is easier than ever for marijuana smokers to avoid secondhand marijuana smoke.
Instead of directly inhaled marijuana smoke for example, cannabis consumers in California often enjoy edible marijuana products.
This is a great way to experience marijuana. In either a gummy candy form, or even in comfort foods such as chocolates and brownies.
Even the most frequent marijuana smokers can enjoy eating weed this way, as it still provides the cannabis high that makes the drug popular recreationally.
CBD oil and other natural pain relief applications also help you use the drug to treat various symptoms and medical issues, without the harmful effects of marijuana smoking.
While the main effects of marijuana inhalation are to get high, this can also be achieved thanks to vape pens, vaporizers, and e-cigarettes.
What Other Harmful Chemicals Does Vaping Avoid?
It is now a well documented and scientifically backed fact that the effect of marijuana on health can be beneficial.
Doctors often prescribe marijuana to people suffering from vomiting, nausea, and inflammation. However, they usually prescribe it to be orally ingested.
This is done to avoid damage to the lungs from smoking marijuana, but vaping weed can also ease a lot of the impacts of marijuana use in cigarettes.
Vaping is a decent way to get marijuana exposure, without the common risks of marijuana smoking. Although vaping is not a perfect solution, as we’ll discuss later.
On top of tar (which contains nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide), vaping avoids deadly carbon monoxide. This is toxic to humans, and still is a byproduct of cigarette smoking.
The safety of marijuana use compared to tobacco often comes down to other toxic chemicals found in both, but vaping can help you avoid things like formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.
Smoking will still more often than not lead to lung cancer, or at least future lung injury and a lung cancer risk.
Do Nicotine Vapes Contain Tar?
If you’re trying to quit smoking to avoid future lung disorders – such as lung hyperinflation – then you may try a nicotine vape.
Vape nicotine lets you ease withdrawal symptoms without any of the tar or toxic chemicals, and can help you with the ritualistic habit of taking a smoke break.
If you have sensitive lungs or existing lung infections, then switching to a vape pen may not help you immediately, and may be best avoided entirely.
While less harmful than smoke, vapor from electronic vaporizers can still irritate lung illnesses, symptoms of lung damage, and lead to other potential lung health effects.
For example, both nicotine and cannabis vapes prompt your body to produce more mucus, which can lead to severe lung diseases like bronchitis.
Lung Health and Vaping
While tobacco smoke is bad for your health naturally, vaping can cause you to develop a cough, wheeze, or other symptoms similar to tobacco concerns and smoking cannabis.
However, vaping symptoms are not as long term as those from tobacco smoke, and symptoms of lung injury can clear up if you vape in moderation or simply abstain for a while.
Future studies are still being conducted to see the actual long lasting effects of using a vaporizer with ground cannabis, weed vapes, and nicotine vapes and the respiratory symptoms that follow.
Until then however, e-cigarette use is still considered safe, and is still far safer than smoking nicotine products like tobacco (at least according to most animal studies).
Tobacco cigarette smoke and cannabis smoke are both best avoided for their tar content, and it is far healthier both short term and long term to switch to vaping marijuana instead.
