Vaping FAQs

does vaping marijuana cause health problems

by Dr. Jarrell Crooks DVM Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
image

If you vape marijuana, side effects can include:

  • impaired coordination
  • impaired memory
  • difficulties problem-solving
  • nausea and vomiting
  • increased heart rate
  • dependence in the long term

However, the use of high-potency concentrates, like those found in vape pens also correlates with a higher incidence of mental and physical health problems and may lead to a higher risk of developing acute adverse effects, such as paranoia, psychosis, and cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (18).Jun 15, 2020

Full Answer

Is vaping worse than smoking weed?

Teens who inhale cannabis via vape pens are more likely to develop breathing problems than those who vape tobacco products or even those who smoke either cigarettes or marijuana joints, according to research appearing in the Journal of Adolescent Health this spring led by University of Michigan nursing professor Carol Boyd.

What are the negative health effects of vaping?

The short-term side effects of using nicotine vapes are usually:

  • Lingering aftertaste
  • Light-headedness
  • Sweating
  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • High blood pressure
  • Increased heart rate

What are the health risks of vaping marijuana?

  • Shortness of breath
  • Weight loss
  • Night sweats
  • Fatigue
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Low oxygen levels
  • Lung failure and death (in severe cases)

Is vaping more harmful than smoking cigarettes?

Vaping May Be More Dangerous Than Cigarette Smoking, Studies Show. Some people take up vaping – or inhaling vapor from electronic cigarettes – to avoid the health hazards of smoking cigarettes made with tobacco.

See more

image

Is vaping worse than smoking?

1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.

What does vaping do to your lungs?

Vaping and Popcorn Lung Diacetyl is frequently added to flavored e-liquid to enhance the taste. Inhaling diacetyl causes inflammation and may lead to permanent scarring in the smallest branches of the airways — popcorn lung — which makes breathing difficult. Popcorn lung has no lasting treatment.

What are the symptoms of lung damage from vaping?

What are the symptoms of EVALI?Shortness of breath.Cough.Chest pain.Fever and chills.Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.Rapid heartbeat.Rapid and shallow breathing.

How long does vaping take to damage lungs?

Exposure for just three days was enough to incur sufficient damage to their lungs, setting the stage for long-term chronic lung damage.

Can my lungs recover from vaping?

Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death.

What are 5 risks of vaping?

Vaping has been linked to lung injury.Rapid onset of coughing.Breathing difficulties.Weight loss.Nausea and vomiting.Diarrhea.

How do I clean my lungs from vaping?

Ways to clear the lungsSteam therapy. Steam therapy, or steam inhalation, involves inhaling water vapor to open the airways and may also help to loosen mucus. ... Controlled coughing. ... Draining mucus from the lungs. ... Exercise. ... Green tea. ... Anti-inflammatory foods. ... Chest percussion.

How much vaping is too much?

Even today, many high-profile sources list the toxic dose of nicotine (the LD50 – or the dose that will kill about half of people exposed) as between 30 and 60 mg. To put this in context of vaping, this would be about 4 ml of 12 mg/ml e-liquid. d.

What is the safest vape to use?

If you are looking for the safest vape kit then you might want to consider disposables or pod kits. These are often low powered and have safety cuts offs as well as other features to prevent them from overheating. Not only as disposables one of the safest vape kits, but they are also super easy to use.

What does vaping do to your heart?

"Vaping creates toxicity, inflammation, and stress on the arteries of the heart that appear to be worse than smoking tobacco." Smoking increases your heart rate, causes a build up of plaque in arteries and can cause an irregular heart rhythm - all of which force your heart to work harder than it needs to.

The Impact of Smoking Marijuana

Marijuana doesn’t have the exact same negative effects as smoking cigarettes. However, most health experts still warn against smoking the drug. Tha...

The Risk of Smoking Marijuana With COPD

COPD affects about 30 million people in America. Most cases are caused by smoking cigarettes. Other causes are due to air pollution, chemical expos...

The Impact of Vaping Marijuana

An alternative method for taking in marijuana is through vaping. Vaping involves inhaling water vapor through a vaporizer or e-cigarette. Although...

Are There Other, Safer Alternatives?

If you're trying to avoid respiratory risks, there are still ways to ingest marijuana. Edible marijuana products, or “edibles,” do far less damage...

How long does it take for vaping to work?

If you are new to vaping, it is generally recommended to start low and go slow. If you aren't feeling the desired effect after 15 minutes, you can take a little more.

How much does a dry herb vape cost?

Cannabis enthusiasts say dry herb vaping has a better flavor and milder smell than smoking. A good quality dry herb vape starts at about $200, but the expense could be worth it for people who smoke cannabis regularly.

What do vaporizers use?

Unlike traditional cigarettes that burn leaves to make smoke, vaporizers use batteries and small metal coils to heat a substance until it evaporates and is then inhaled. For this reason, they're often referred to as vapes, vape pens, and vaporizers. But not all devices vaporize the same way.

Can you smoke cannabis with a vape cart?

Dry herb vapes have a stronger odor that can linger in a room for about 30 minutes, but is easier to mask than smoking. And unlike smoking, vaping does not typically cling to clothing and skin.

Is vaping marijuana harmful?

Vaping marijuana might expose you to fewer toxic ingredients than smoking it, but it's far from harmless. A lot more research is needed to fully understand the health risks associated with vaping in general and vaping products that contain THC.

Is vaping bad for you?

Keep in mind that the use of e-cigarettes and vaping in general puts you at a greater risk of lung disease, heart disease, and cancer. 12 And though you are not smoking nicotine, that doesn't mean you aren't ingesting other harmful toxins.

Is vaping weed harmful?

Vaping weed might seem like a less harmful alternative to smoking, but it’s not entirely harmless. In addition to the health risks associated with THC, vaping itself can be potentially damaging to a person’s health. 4

Why are cigarettes dangerous?

The reason cigarettes are dangerous isn’t because of the nicotine. The tar and other chemicals that cause emphysema or cancer make it so dangerous. Burning or inhaling is a bad idea. That’s why we will probably discover that marijuana is bad for your lungs, too.”.

Why are e-cigarettes bad for youth?

These are similar in nature to vaporizers used for marijuana, and can greatly impact youth because of the potential cancer-causing substances they release.

How many states allow medical marijuana?

The research on medical marijuana looks promising. However, we still don’t know whether it’s an effective treatment. Beyond that, only 31 states , as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia allow the use of marijuana for medical use.

What is the active ingredient in marijuana?

Two drugs that are a synthetic laboratory version with chemical structure of or similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another active ingredient in marijuana, are approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Can smoking marijuana cause damage?

Smoking marijuana can cause damage with rupture to the walls of adjacent alveoli (small air sacs in the lungs) into larger, ineffective air sacs called bullae. The risk is higher in male smokers under the age of 45.

Does smoking marijuana cause bronchitis?

This is associated with an increased likelihood of developing chronic bronchitis. The inhalation patterns when smoking marijuana are different than when smoking cigarettes.

Is marijuana good for you?

Health benefits of marijuana. Marijuana may provide calming effects that improve certain mental and physical conditions. For instance, a doctor might recommend medical marijuana to people with Crohn’s disease as an alternative way to ease inflammation, nausea, and vomiting .

What are the symptoms of vaping?

Symptoms of this vaping-related lung illness, also known as EVALI ( E -cigarette, or V aping, product use A ssociated L ung I njury), include: 1 Shortness of breath 2 Weight loss 3 Night sweats 4 Fatigue 5 Gastrointestinal problems 6 Low oxygen levels 7 Lung failure and death (in severe cases)

What are the organs that are at risk when vaping?

When teens vape marijuana they’re putting two vital organs at risk: their brains and their lungs. The brain of an adolescent or young adult continues to grow and develop well into early adulthood, and is busy developing critical skills related to problem-solving, impulse control, anticipating consequences and more.

What is a PAX vape?

Marijuana vaping devices often resemble vaping devices used for nicotine or other e-liquids. For example, PAX is a brand of marijuana vaporizers that closely resemble the popular JUUL devices. Those seeking to vape marijuana can also learn how to “hack” nicotine vapes to work with marijuana from countless YouTube videos and other online resources.

How to tell if your child is vaping?

How to recognize if your child is vaping marijuana. Vaping can be difficult to detect as there is no smoke, minimal odor (although you may catch a whiff) and the vapor produced dissipates rapidly. However, just like smoking, vaping marijuana can result in bloodshot eyes, dry mouth and thirst, increased appetite and shifts in behavior and mood.

How likely are teens to become addicted to marijuana?

Research also shows that teens who use marijuana are twice as likely as adults to become addicted to it.

How does vaping work?

Vaporizing, often referred to as “vaping,” works by heating dried or concentrated extracts (in this case, of marijuana) to create a vapor that can be inhaled. Vaping has become extremely popular, as the process itself produces fewer toxins compared to traditional smoking methods.

How long was marijuana monitored?

Participants were then monitored for roughly 8.5 hours, during which time they completed various tasks to test their cognitive and motor functions.

Does vaping cause anxiety?

Overall, researchers found that smoking and vaping 10 mg of THC had minor drug effects on participants, causing symptoms like relaxation, alertness, hunger and anxiety. It also had a modest impairment on cognitive functioning, which was measured by computer tests that assess factors like attention and reaction times.

Is vaping safer than smoking?

January 02, 2019 CardioSmart News. A recent study raises safety concerns about vaping and driving, based on research conducted at Johns Hopkins University that shows vaping marijuana has stronger effects on cognitive and motor skills than smoking it.

Does smoking THC affect your brain?

Smoking and vaping 25 mg of THC, however, had far more noticeable effects . The higher dose was associated with more pronounced drug effects and what researchers call significant impairment of cognitive and motor functions. It also increased risk of adverse effects like vomiting and hallucinations.

Is THC lower than smoking?

The concern, according to experts, is that THC levels tested in this study are generally lower than what consumers might buy from a smoke shop. And for those vaping marijuana, the effects can be even more pronounced than when smoking.

Is it safe to drive a car after smoking?

As a result, experts encourage better education about the strong effects that smoking and vaping marijuana can have on functioning. Even though marijuana use may be legal in most states, that doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive a car or engage in other tasks after smoking.

Why is vaping so difficult?

This is due to the difficulty in correctly identifying what they inhaled, especially when they are intubated or unconscious.

How to help a teenager who is vaping?

Encourage your teen to look into the warnings and media stories related to vaping, or reach out to his or her primary care provider with questions.

Why is vaping so popular among teens?

First publicized as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco, vaping caught on because it didn't contain the carcinogens or tars found in most smoking tobacco products. Also, vaping was supposed to eliminate the dangers of secondhand smoke to those nearby.

How long does a vape last?

Did you know most cigarettes are smoked within two to five minutes? E-cigarettes on the other hand can last up to 20 minutes, delivering more nicotine and damaging chemicals to the lungs. In addition, some vaping mixtures can contain 20 times the nicotine that a single cigarette contains.

What is an e-cigarette?

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid solution — usually, but not always, containing nicotine — turning it into a vapor that can be inhaled . If the base nicotine mixture is not palatable, many flavors, such as mint, apple and others, can make vaping attractive, especially to adolescents.

How to tell if a child is vaping?

Talk with your kids about the dangers of vaping, but also look for warning signs including: 1 Changes in emotions 2 Trouble sleeping 3 Scents of fruity odors on skin, breath and clothes 4 Strange cylinders, chargers or batteries lying around

Is vaping bad for teens?

Adolescents often feel that bad things happen to everyone else, but the risks associated with vaping are real. Many teens are taking things a step further, adding cannabis, CBD oils and other dangerous additives to vaping devices.

How many compounds are in marijuana?

Marijuana contains almost 500 compounds, including 70 cannabinoids which provide the psychoactive effect.43,44When a user smokes marijuana, they do not solely ingest THC but rather a host of other chemicals.45From the combustion of marijuana, chemicals, such as acetaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and polycyclic hydrocarbons, are inhaled.45For example, Groternhermen et al. found that there are numerous adulterants in marijuana, and these compounds could also contribute to CVD processes.45For instance, during the marijuana plant cultivation, farmers may spray chemicals and fertilizers that contain N-nitrosamines compounds that persist for years.46Moreover, other chemicals, such as sulfur, copper sulfate, and Ceresan M (a mercury containing compound), are also present on some forms of marijuana.45Even arsenic has been found on marijuana, in the concentration of 2 mg of arsenic per 100 grams of marijuana, which is considered “a medical dose.”47

When was cannabis arteritis first diagnosed?

Cannabis arteritis was first described in the 1960s , with over 50 cases documented in the literature since then. Furthermore, numerous studies and case reports describe a thromboangitis obliterans-like disease that affects young adults who smoke marijuana.25In 2013, Desbois et al. described the different arterial pathologies associated with cannabis smokers, including CVA, MI, and lower limb arteritis.26In these cases, the onset of CVA and MI was usually within one hour of marijuana use. Moreover, compared with thromboangitis obliterans, individuals diagnosed with cannabis arteritis were younger, more often male, and had more frequent unilateral limb involvement.26The mechanism of the vasculitis is currently not fully understood, but many reports suggest vasculopathy secondary to an arsenic-containing byproduct, which has been associated with endothelial inflammation.26

Where does marijuana come from?

Marijuana is derived from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, with the biologically active ingredient being a group of cannabinoids and the main psychoactive constituent being 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).2–4The THC ligand binds to multiple receptors with especially high selectivity for the Cannabinoid 1 and 2 receptors (CB1 and CB2, respectively). CB1 receptors are predominantly expressed in the brain and peripheral tissues, including cardiac muscle, hepatic tissue, the gastrointestinal tract, and vascular endothelium,5, 6while CB2 receptors are mainly expressed in immune cells. These CB2 receptors have recently been shown to play a role in inflammatory cytokine regulation.7

Does THC affect the vasculature?

Available literature shows that THC has three major effects on the CV and the peripheral vasculature in the form of “cannabis arteritis,” cannabis-induced vasospasms, and platelet aggregation, with an unknown verdict on the relationship between marijuana use and atherosclerosis progression.

Is marijuana a cardiovascular drug?

The indirect effects of marijuana on the cardiovascular system. Conclusion. Marijuana is the most common illicit substance used in the US and the rate of usage is only increasing. Most of the research into THC is mainly focused on combating the side effects of anti-cancer chemotherapeutics.

Does marijuana increase the risk of death?

In summary, marijuana users had increased risk of HTN-associated mortality even if a prior diagnosis of HTN was treated. In addition, increased duration of marijuana use is associated with increased risk of death related to HTN.

Is marijuana a drug?

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States (US) and much of the Westernized World with a steadi ly increasing prevalence in usage and abuse over the past decade, especially among adolescents. Much of the available data on 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, ...

Stats on Vaping in Young Adults

Vape products, also known as e-cigarettes, are the most common tobacco products used by college students in the United States. Three-quarters of college students who use tobacco vape, as compared to 42% who smoke cigarettes.

Why Do Young Adults Vape?

Why is vaping appealing to young people? There are a number of different reasons why young adults vape, including:

Perception of Vaping Risk Among Young Adults

Fewer than 20 percent of young adults perceive vaping marijuana occasionally as harmful, and only about half believe that vaping nicotine regularly is harmful. In fact, a new study finds that 1 in 3 young adults believed nicotine to be no more harmful than a cup of coffee.

Why Is Vaping Bad?

Vaping is generally considered to be less harmful than smoking tobacco. However, in addition to the link between vaping and mental health, vaping also has both long- and short-term effects on physical health, as mentioned above. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers on the topic of “why is vaping bad.”

How Does Vaping Affect Your Mental Health?

Vaping and mental health are related not just because of the mental effects of vaping on the brain. In addition, the reason young adults start vaping is often related to mental health. A Truth Initiative survey found that 4 out of 5 young adults begin vaping due to stress, anxiety, or depression.

Addressing the Underlying Causes of Vaping and Mental Health Symptoms in Young Adults

The vast majority of young adults start vaping due to mental health concerns. Thus, while quitting the habit is important for health, they also need professional support to heal the underlying trauma, anxiety, and depression. Treatment can also address co-occurring issues like substance abuse and eating disorders.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9