Tobacco vs. Marijuana

Both Tobacco and Marijuana are almost if not are used on the same level of consumption. For known reasons with legality issues of marijuana, not all statistics have been reported. This article is here to show the differences between these 2 substances, and hopefully, provide information on which is safer for use and consumption.

References for Tobacco: http://apocalypsecometh.com, http://www.nytimes.com, http://www.businessinsider.com, http://www.cdc.gov

References for Marijuana:  http://adai.uw.edu , http://norml.org, http://www.nlm.nih.gov, http://www.howstuffworks.com

What is Tobacco?

• Tobacco is a product processed from the dried leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana.
• product manufactured from the leaf used in cigars and cigarettes, snuff, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco and flavored shisha.

  

• The tobacco plant is a member of the nightshade family called Solanaceae.
• There are more than sixty-four species of tobacco.

Where does Tobacco grow?

• The tobacco plant grows naturally in various parts of North and South America, Australia, a few South Pacific islands, and one species in Namibia, in southwestern Africa. Major Producers include China, Pakistan, Brazil, and India

Consumptions of Tobacco

• smoking
• chewing
• snuffing
• dipping

Good Facts About Tobacco

• Strong appetite suppressant and many use it to self-treat compulsive overeating disorders or obesity
• Cigarette smoking has also been linked to a decrease in risk of certain inflammatory disorders, since nicotine itself appears to be an anti-inflammatory agent
• Tobacco smoke’s anti-inflammatory effects may actually provide some benefits to children who are exposed to secondhand smoke
• Nicotine found in cigarettes reduces psychiatric, cognitive, sensory, and physical effects of schizophrenia, and also provides relief of common side effects from antipsychotic drugs
• Put a cigarette in a quart of water and let it stand overnight. The nicotine will release a poison into the water that you can use to spray and kill insects with. (But important to know you’re smoking the same poison.

Bad Facts About Tobacco

• nicotine activates some pro-carcinogenic activities, thus potentially increasing the carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoke
• The harms caused by using tobacco include diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancers).
• Smoking tobacco causes such side effects as coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and troubled breathing
• More than 4000 ingredients are in every cigarette, creating 200 “compound chemicals.”

Deaths from Tobacco

• 400,000 deaths yearly in the United States, and has a significant negative effect on health in general.
• over 140,000 lung-related deaths in 2001 were attributed to tobacco smoke
• 100 million deaths over the course of the 20th century
• The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004

Annual Cigarette Smoking-Related Mortality in the United States*
Disease	Male	Female	Total
*In this table, deaths due to secondhand smoke and fire burn are not included.
Malignant Neoplasms (Cancer)
Lip, Oral Cavity, Pharynx	3,749	1,144	4,893
Esophagus	6,961	1,631	8,592
Stomach	1,900	584	2,484
Pancreas	3,147	3,536	6,683
Larynx	2,446	563	3,009
Trachea, Lung, Bronchus	78,680	46,842	125,522
Cervix Uteri	0	447	447
Kidney and Renal Pelvis	2,827	216	3,043
Urinary Bladder	3,907	1,076	4,983
Acute Myeloid Leukemia	855	337	1,192
Subtotal	104,472	56,376	160,848
Cardiovascular Diseases
Ischemic Heart Disease	50,884	29,121	80,005
Other Heart Disease	12,994	8,060	21,004
Cerebrovascular Disease	7,896	8,026	15,922
Atherosclerosis	1,282	611	1,893
Aortic Aneurysm	5,628	2,791	8,419
Other Arterial Disease	505	749	1,254
Subtotal	79,139	49,358	128,497
Respiratory Diseases
Pneumonia, Influenza	6,042	4,381	10,423
Bronchitis, Emphysema	7,536	6,391	13,927
Chronic Airway Obstruction	40,217	38,771	78,988
Subtotal	53,795	49,543	103,338
Grand Total	237,406	155,277	392,683

 

What is Marijuana?

• Cannabis, also known as marijuana (from the Mexican Spanish marihuana), is derived from the cannabis plant (cannabis sativa).
• The main active ingredient in cannabis is called delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC. This is the part of the plant that gives the “high.”

  

•  There is a wide range of THC potency between cannabis products.
• Marijuana is made from dried flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant. It is the least potent of all the cannabis products and is usually smoked.

Where does Marijuana Grow?

• It grows wild in many of the tropical and temperate areas of the world.
•  It can be grown in almost any climate, and is increasingly cultivated by means of indoor hydroponic technology.

Good Facts About Marijuana

• Feeling of well-being;

• Compounds found in cannabis have been shown to kill numerous cancer types including: lung cancer, breast and prostate, leukemia and lymphoma, glioma, skin cancer, and pheochromocytoma.
• The THC present in cannabis smoke should exert a protective effect against pro-carcinogens that require activation.

• Decreased nausea;

Bad Facts About Marijuana

• Talkativeness (not deadly just annoying);
• Drowsiness;
• Loss of inhibitions(self-consciousness );
• Increased appetite;
• Loss of co-ordination;
• Bloodshot eyes;
• Dryness of the eyes, mouth, and throat;
• Anxiety and paranoia.
• Short-term memory loss
• Delays Reaction Time

Consumption

• Cannabis is usually smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes (known as “joints”) or in special water pipes (“bongs”). These pipes or bongs can be bought or made from things such as orange juice containers, soft drink cans or even toilet rolls. Vaporizers are also used for consumption, but not often for all users.

 Deaths From Marijuana

A. Marijuana
DRUG (Year Approved)		Primary Suspect of the Death	Secondary Suspect (Contributing to death)	Total Deaths Reported 1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1.	Marijuana (not approved) also known as: Cannabis sativa L	0	109	109
2.	Cannabis (not approved) also known as: Cannabis sativa L	0	78	78
3.	Cannabinoids (unclear if these mentions include non-plant cannabinoids)	0	92	92
Sub-Total – Anti-Emetics		0	279	279

 

 

FDA-Approved Drugs Prescribed in Place of Medical MarijuanaB. Anti-Emetics
DRUG (Year Approved)		Primary Suspect of the Death	Secondary Suspect (Contributing to death)	Total Deaths Reported 1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1.	Compazine (1980) also known as: Phenothiazine, prochlorperazine	15	30	45
2.	Reglan (1980) also known as: Metaclopramide, Paspertin, Primperan	37	278	315
3.	Marinol (1985) also known as: Dronabinol	4	1	5
4.	Zofran (1991) also known as: Ondansetron hydrochloride	79	76	155
5.	Anzemet (1997) also known as: Dolasetron mesylatee	22	5	27
6.	Kytril (1999) also known as: Granisetron hydrochloride	36	24	60
7.	Tigan (2001) also known as: Trimethobenzamide	3	15	18
Sub-Total – Anti-Emetics		196	429	625

 

C. Anti-Spasmodics
DRUG (Year Approved)		Primary Suspect of the Death	Secondary Suspect (Contributing to death)	Total Deaths Reported 1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1.	Baclofen (1967) also known as: Lioresal, 4-amino-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-butanoic acid	72	33	105
2.	Zanaflex (1996) also known as: Tizanidine hydrochloride, Sirdalud, Ternelin	46	23	69
Sub-Total – Anti-Spasmodics		118	56	174

 

D. Anti-Psychotics
DRUG (Year Approved)		Primary Suspect of the Death	Secondary Suspect (Contributing to death)	Total Deaths Reported 1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1.	Haldol (1967) also known as: Haloperidol, Haldol Decanoate, Serenace, Halomonth	450	267	717
2.	Lithium (1970) also known as: Lithium Carbonate, Eskalith, Lithobid, Lithonate, Teralithe, Lithane, Hypnorex, Limas, Lithionit, Quilonum	175	133	308
3.	Neurontin (1994) also known as: Gabapentin	968	302	1,270
Sub-Total – Anti-Psychotics		1,593	702	2,295

 

E. Other Well-Known and Randomly Selected FDA-Approved Drugs
DRUG (Year Approved)		Primary Suspect of the Death	Secondary Suspect (Contributing to death)	Total Deaths Reported 1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1.	Ritalin (1955) also known as: Methylphenidate, Concerta, Medadate, Ritaline (used to treat ADD and ADHD)	121	53	174
2.	Wellbutrin (1997) also known as: Bupropion Hydrochloride, Zyban, Zyntabac, Amfebutamone (used to treat depression & anxiety)	1,132	220	1,352
3.	Adderall (1966) also known as: Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate USP, Amphetamine Sulfate USP (used to treat narcolepsy or to control hyperactivity in children)	54	12	66
4.	Viagra (1998) also known as: Sildenafil Citrate (used to treat erectile dysfunction)	2,254	40	2,294
5.	Vioxx* (1999) also known as: Rifecixub, Arofexx (used to treat osteoarthritis and pain)	4,540	167	4,707
Sub-Total – Other Popular Drugs		8,101	492	8,593

 

F. TOTALS of A-E	Primary Suspect	Secondary Suspect (Contributing to death)	Total Deaths Reported 1/1/97 – 6/30/05
TOTAL DEATHS FROM MARIJUANA	0	279	279
TOTAL DEATHS FROM 17 FDA-APPROVED DRUGS	10,008	1,679	11,687