Dear Tobacco Farmers, Blame the Cigarette Companies

I can't do this post justice, but I just felt I had to write something about this latest study. In the largest study of its kind, it has been found that smoking marijuana has no association with cancer. None. Not even if you are a heavy marijuana smoker. No association. Period.

The new findings "were against our expectations," said Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years.
"We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."

So, why does smoking pot not cause cancer while tobacco kills more than 440,000 people in the US each year?
Got that, pot=0 tobacco=440,000.


Why, well let's look at cigarettes as an example. What do cigarettes not have in them now that they used to have?
tobacco-content-of-US-man-c

That's right. Tobacco. See, native Americans used to smoke tobacco. Just, tobacco. Like the pot of today which is grown here or there and then smoked directly, in the old days the tobacco was smoked by itself.

What is in cigarettes that the native Americans never smoked?

Ingredients in tobacco: Cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless and pipe tobacco consist of dried tobacco leaves, as well as ingredients added for flavor and other properties. More than 4,000 individual compounds have been identified in tobacco and tobacco smoke. Among these are about 43 compounds that are carcinogens.

There are hundreds of substances added by manufacturers to cigarettes to enhance the flavor or to make the smoking experience more pleasant. Some of the compounds found in tobacco smoke include ammonia, tar, and carbon monoxide. Exactly what effect these substances have on the cigarette consumer’s health is unknown, but there is no evidence that lowering the tar content of a cigarette improves the health risk. Manufacturers do not provide the public information about the precise amount of additives used in cigarettes, so it is difficult to accurately gauge that public health risk.

Do you understand that? There are over 43 (I've read 60) cancer-causing compounds in cigarettes. In addition, this is a list of the additives in cigarettes, as submitted by the cigarette companies to the USDA.

A
* Acetanisole
* Acetic Acid
* Acetoin
* Acetophenone
* 6-Acetoxydihydrotheaspirane
* 2-Acetyl-3-Ethylpyrazine
* 2-Acetyl-5-Methylfuran
* Acetylpyrazine
* 2-Acetylpyridine
* 3-Acetylpyridine
* 2-Acetylthiazole
* Aconitic Acid
* dl-Alanine
* Alfalfa Extract
* Allspice Extract, Oleoresin, and Oil
* Allyl Hexanoate
* Allyl Ionone
* Almond Bitter Oil
* Ambergris Tincture
* Ammonia
* Ammonium Bicarbonate
* Ammonium Hydroxide
* Ammonium Phosphate Dibasic
* Ammonium Sulfide
* Amyl Alcohol
* Amyl Butyrate
* Amyl Formate
* Amyl Octanoate
* alpha-Amylcinnamaldehyde
* Amyris Oil
* trans-Anethole
* Angelica Root Extract, Oil and Seed Oil
* Anise
* Anise Star, Extract and Oils
* Anisyl Acetate
* Anisyl Alcohol
* Anisyl Formate
* Anisyl Phenylacetate
* Apple Juice Concentrate, Extract, and Skins
* Apricot Extract and Juice Concentrate
* L-Arginine
* Asafetida Fluid Extract And Oil
* Ascorbic Acid
* L-Asparagine Monohydrate
* L-Aspartic Acid

B
* Balsam Peru and Oil
* Basil Oil
* Bay leaf, Oil and Sweet Oil
* Beeswax White
* Beet Juice Concentrate
* Benzaldehyde
* Benzaldehyde Glyceryl Acetal
* Benzoic Acid, Benzoin
* Benzoin Resin
* Benzophenone
* Benzyl Alcohol
* Benzyl Benzoate
* Benzyl Butyrate
* Benzyl Cinnamate
* Benzyl Propionate
* Benzyl Salicylate
* Bergamot Oil
* Bisabolene
* Black Currant Buds Absolute
* Borneol
* Bornyl Acetate
* Buchu Leaf Oil
* 1,3-Butanediol
* 2,3-Butanedione
* 1-Butanol
* 2-Butanone
* 4(2-Butenylidene)-3,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Cyclohexen-1-One
* Butter, Butter Esters, and Butter Oil
* Butyl acetate
* Butyl butyrate
* Butyl butyryl lactate
* Butyl isovalerate
* Butyl phenylacetate
* Butyl ndecylenate
* 3-Butylidenephthalide
* Butyric Acid

C
* Cadinene
* Caffeine
* Calcium Carbonate
* Camphene
* Cananga Oil
* Capsicum Oleoresin
* Caramel Color
* Caraway Oil
* Carbon Dioxide
* Cardamom Oleoresin, Extract, Seed Oil, and Powder
* Carob Bean and Extract
* beta-Carotene
* Carrot Oil
* Carvacrol
* 4-Carvomenthenol
* L-Carvone
* beta-Caryophyllene
* beta-Caryophyllene Oxide
* Cascarilla Oil and Bark Extract
* Cassia Bark Oil
* Cassie Absolute and Oil
* Castoreum Extract, Tincture and Absolute
* Cedar Leaf Oil
* Cedarwood Oil Terpenes and Virginiana
* Cedrol
* Celery Seed Extract, Solid, Oil, And Oleoresin
* Cellulose Fiber
* Chamomile Flower Oil And Extract
* Chicory Extract
* Chocolate
* Cinnamaldehyde
* Cinnamic Acid
* Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Bark Oil, and Extract
* Cinnamyl Acetate
* Cinnamyl Alcohol
* Cinnamyl Cinnamate
* Cinnamyl Isovalerate
* Cinnamyl Propionate
* Citral
* Citric Acid
* Citronella Oil
* dl-Citronellol
* Citronellyl Butyrate
* Citronellyl Isobutyrate
* Civet Absolute
* Clary Oil
* Clover Tops, Red Solid Extract
* Cocoa
* Cocoa Shells, Extract, Distillate And Powder
* Coconut Oil
* Coffee
* Cognac White and Green Oil
* Copaiba Oil
* Coriander Extract and Oil
* Corn Oil
* Corn Silk
* Costus Root Oil
* Cubeb Oil
* Cuminaldehyde
* para-Cymene
* L-Cysteine

D
* Dandelion Root Solid Extract
* Davana Oil
* 2-trans,4-trans-Decadienal
* delta-Decalactone
* gamma-Decalactone
* Decanal
* Decanoic Acid
* 1-Decanol
* 2-Decenal
* Dehydromenthofurolactone
* Diethyl Malonate
* Diethyl Sebacate
* 2,3-Diethylpyrazine
* Dihydro Anethole
* 5,7-Dihydro-2-Methylthieno(3,4-D) Pyrimidine
* Dill Seed Oil and Extract
* meta-Dimethoxybenzene
* para-Dimethoxybenzene
* 2,6-Dimethoxyphenol
* Dimethyl Succinate
* 3,4-Dimethyl-1,2-Cyclopentanedione
* 3,5-Dimethyl-1,2-Cyclopentanedione
* 3,7-Dimethyl-1,3,6-Octatriene
* 4,5-Dimethyl-3-Hydroxy-2,5-Dihydrofuran-2-One
* 6,10-Dimethyl-5,9-Undecadien-2-One
* 3,7-Dimethyl-6-Octenoic Acid
* 2,4 Dimethylacetophenone
* alpha,para-Dimethylbenzyl Alcohol
* alpha,alpha-Dimethylphenethyl Acetate
* alpha,alpha Dimethylphenethyl Butyrate
* 2,3-Dimethylpyrazine
* 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine
* 2,6-Dimethylpyrazine
* Dimethyltetrahydrobenzofuranone
* delta-Dodecalactone
* gamma-Dodecalactone

E
* para-Ethoxybenzaldehyde
* Ethyl 10-Undecenoate
* Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate
* Ethyl acetate
* Ethyl acetoacetate
* Ethyl alcohol
* Ethyl benzoate
* Ethyl butyrate
* Ethyl cinnamate
* Ethyl decanoate
* Ethyl fenchol
* Ethyl furoate
* Ethyl heptanoate
* Ethyl hexanoate
* Ethyl isovalerate
* Ethyl lactate
* Ethyl laurate
* Ethyl levulinate
* Ethyl maltol
* Ethyl methyl phenylglycidate
* Ethyl myristate
* Ethyl nonanoate
* Ethyl octadecanoate
* Ethyl octanoate
* Ethyl oleate
* Ethyl palmitate
* Ethyl phenylacetate
* Ethyl propionate
* Ethyl salicylate
* Ethyl trans-2-butenoate
* Ethyl valerate
* Ethyl vanillin
* 2-Ethyl (or Methyl)-(3,5 and 6)-Methoxypyrazine
* 2-Ethyl-1-Hexanol,3-Ethyl-2-Hydroxy-2-Cyclopenten-1-One
* 2-Ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-Dimethylpyrazine
* 5-Ethyl-3-Hydroxy-4-Methyl-2(5H)-Furanone
* 2-Ethyl-3-Methylpyrazine
* 4-Ethylbenzaldehyde
* 4-Ethylguaiacol
* para-Ethylphenol
* 3-Ethylpyridine
* Eucalyptol

F
* Farnesol
* D-Fenchone
* Fennel Sweet Oil
* Fenugreek, Extract, Resin, and Absolute
* Fig Juice Concentrate
* Food Starch Modified
* Furfuryl Mercaptan
* 4-(2-Furyl)-3-Buten-2-One

G
* Galbanum Oil
* Genet Absolute
* Gentian Root Extract
* Geraniol
* Geranium Rose Oil
* Geranyl Acetate
* Geranyl Butyrate
* Geranyl Formate
* Geranyl Isovalerate
* Geranyl Phenylacetate
* Ginger Oil and Oleoresin
* L-Glutamic Acid
* L-Glutamine
* Glycerol
* Glycyrrhizin Ammoniated
* Grape Juice Concentrate
* Guaiac Wood Oil
* Guaiacol
* Guar Gum

H
* 2,4-Heptadienal
* gamma-Heptalactone
* Heptanoic Acid
* 2-Heptanone
* 3-Hepten-2-One
* 2-Hepten-4-One
* 4-Heptenal
* trans-2-Heptenal
* Heptyl acetate
* omega-6-Hexadecenlactone
* gamma-Hexalactone
* Hexanal
* Hexanoic acid
* 2-Hexen-1-Ol
* 3-Hexen-1-Ol
* cis-3-Hexen-1-Yl Acetate
* 2-Hexenal
* 3-Hexenoic Acid
* trans-2-Hexenoic Acid
* cis-3-Hexenyl Formate
* Hexyl 2-Methylbutyrate
* Hexyl Acetate
* Hexyl Alcohol
* Hexyl Phenylacetate
* L-Histidine
* Honey
* Hops Oil
* Hydrolyzed Milk Solids
* Hydrolyzed Plant Proteins
* 5-Hydroxy-2,4-Decadienoic Acid delta- Lactone
* 4-Hydroxy-2,5-Dimethyl-3(2H)-Furanone
* 2-Hydroxy-3,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Cyclohexen-1-One
* 4-Hydroxy -3-Pentenoic Acid Lactone
* 2-Hydroxy-4-Methylbenzaldehyde
* 4-Hydroxybutanoic Acid Lactone
* Hydroxycitronellal
* 6-Hydroxydihydrotheaspirane
* 4-(para-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-Butanone
* Hyssop Oil

I
* Immortelle Absolute and Extract
* alpha-Ionone
* beta-Ionone
* alpha-Irone
* Isoamyl Acetate
* Isoamyl Benzoate
* Isoamyl Butyrate
* Isoamyl Cinnamate
* Isoamyl Formate, Isoamyl Hexanoate
* Isoamyl Isovalerate
* Isoamyl Octanoate
* Isoamyl Phenylacetate
* Isobornyl Acetate
* Isobutyl Acetate
* Isobutyl Alcohol
* Isobutyl Cinnamate
* Isobutyl Phenylacetate
* Isobutyl Salicylate
* 2-Isobutyl-3-Methoxypyrazine
* alpha-Isobutylphenethyl Alcohol
* Isobutyraldehyde
* Isobutyric Acid
* d,l-Isoleucine
* alpha-Isomethylionone
* 2-Isopropylphenol
* Isovaleric Acid

J
* Jasmine Absolute, Concrete and Oil

K
* Kola Nut Extract

L
* Labdanum Absolute and Oleoresin
* Lactic Acid
* Lauric Acid
* Lauric Aldehyde
* Lavandin Oil
* Lavender oil
* Lemon Oil and Extract
* Lemongrass Oil
* L-Leucine
* Levulinic acid
* Liquorice root, Fluid, Extract and Powder
* Lime Oil
* Linalool
* Linalool Oxide
* Linalyl Acetate
* Linden Flowers
* Lovage Oil And Extract
* L-Lysine

M
* Mace Powder, Extract and Oil
* Magnesium Carbonate
* Malic Acid
* Malt and Malt Extract
* Maltodextrin
* Maltol
* Maltyl Isobutyrate
* Mandarin Oil
* Maple Syrup and Concentrate
* Mate Leaf, Absolute and Oil
* para-Mentha-8-Thiol-3-One
* Menthol
* Menthone
* Menthyl Acetate
* dl-Methionine
* Methoprene
* 2-Methoxy-4-Methylphenol
* 2-Methoxy-4-Vinylphenol
* para-Methoxybenzaldehyde
* 1-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-1-Penten-3-One
* 4-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-2-Butanone
* 1-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-2-Propanone
* Methoxypyrazine
* Methyl 2-Furoate
* Methyl 2-Octynoate
* Methyl 2-Pyrrolyl Ketone
* Methyl Anisate
* Methyl Anthranilate
* Methyl Benzoate
* Methyl Cinnamate
* Methyl Dihydrojasmonate
* Methyl Ester of Rosin, Partially Hydrogenated
* Methyl Isovalerate
* Methyl Linoleate (48%)
* Methyl Linolenate (52%) Mixture
* Methyl Naphthyl Ketone
* Methyl Nicotinate
* Methyl Phenylacetate
* Methyl Salicylate
* Methyl Sulfide
* 3-Methyl-1-Cyclopentadecanone
* 4-Methyl-1-Phenyl-2-Pentanone
* 5-Methyl-2-Phenyl-2-Hexenal
* 5-Methyl-2-Thiophenecarboxaldehyde
* 6-Methyl-3,-5-Heptadien-2-One
* 2-Methyl-3-(para-Isopropylphenyl) Propionaldehyde
* 5-Methyl-3-Hexen-2-One
* 1-Methyl-3-Methoxy-4-Isopropylbenzene
* 4-Methyl-3-Pentene-2-One
* 2-Methyl-4-Phenylbutyraldehyde
* 6-Methyl-5-Hepten-2-One
* 4-Methyl-5-Thiazoleethanol
* 4-Methyl-5-Vinylthiazole
* Methyl-alpha-Ionone
* Methyl-trans-2-Butenoic Acid
* 4-Methylacetophenone
* para-Methylanisole
* alpha-Methylbenzyl Acetate
* alpha-Methylbenzyl Alcohol
* 2-Methylbutyraldehyde
* 3-Methylbutyraldehyde
* 2-Methylbutyric Acid
* alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde
* Methylcyclopentenolone
* 2-Methylheptanoic Acid
* 2-Methylhexanoic Acid
* 3-Methylpentanoic Acid
* 4-Methylpentanoic Acid
* 2-Methylpyrazine
* 5-Methylquinoxaline
* 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran-3-One
* (Methylthio)Methylpyrazine (Mixture Of Isomers)
* 3-Methylthiopropionaldehyde
* Methyl 3-Methylthiopropionate
* 2-Methylvaleric Acid
* Mimosa Absolute and Extract
* Molasses Extract and Tincture
* Mountain Maple Solid Extract
* Mullein Flowers
* Myristaldehyde
* Myristic Acid
* Myrrh Oil

N
* beta-Napthyl Ethyl Ether
* Nerol
* Neroli Bigarde Oil
* Nerolidol
* Nona-2-trans,6-cis-Dienal
* 2,6-Nonadien-1-Ol
* gamma-Nonalactone
* Nonanal
* Nonanoic Acid
* Nonanone
* trans-2-Nonen-1-Ol
* 2-Nonenal
* Nonyl Acetate
* Nutmeg Powder and Oil

O
* Oak Chips Extract and Oil
* Oak Moss Absolute
* 9,12-Octadecadienoic Acid (48%) And 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic Acid (52%)
* delta-Octalactone
* gamma-Octalactone
* Octanal
* Octanoic Acid
* 1-Octanol
* 2-Octanone
* 3-Octen-2-One
* 1-Octen-3-Ol
* 1-Octen-3-Yl Acetate
* 2-Octenal
* Octyl Isobutyrate
* Oleic Acid
* Olibanum Oil
* Opoponax Oil And Gum
* Orange Blossoms Water, Absolute, and Leaf Absolute
* Orange Oil and Extract
* Origanum Oil
* Orris Concrete Oil and Root Extract

P
* Palmarosa Oil
* Palmitic Acid
* Parsley Seed Oil
* Patchouli Oil
* omega-Pentadecalactone
* 2,3-Pentanedione
* 2-Pentanone
* 4-Pentenoic Acid
* 2-Pentylpyridine
* Pepper Oil, Black And White
* Peppermint Oil
* Peruvian (Bois De Rose) Oil
* Petitgrain Absolute, Mandarin Oil and Terpeneless Oil
* alpha-Phellandrene
* 2-Phenenthyl Acetate
* Phenethyl Alcohol
* Phenethyl Butyrate
* Phenethyl Cinnamate
* Phenethyl Isobutyrate
* Phenethyl Isovalerate
* Phenethyl Phenylacetate
* Phenethyl Salicylate
* 1-Phenyl-1-Propanol
* 3-Phenyl-1-Propanol
* 2-Phenyl-2-Butenal
* 4-Phenyl-3-Buten-2-Ol
* 4-Phenyl-3-Buten-2-One
* Phenylacetaldehyde
* Phenylacetic Acid
* L-Phenylalanine
* 3-Phenylpropionaldehyde
* 3-Phenylpropionic Acid
* 3-Phenylpropyl Acetate
* 3-Phenylpropyl Cinnamate
* 2-(3-Phenylpropyl)Tetrahydrofuran
* Phosphoric Acid
* Pimenta Leaf Oil
* Pine Needle Oil, Pine Oil, Scotch
* Pineapple Juice Concentrate
* alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene
* D-Piperitone
* Piperonal
* Pipsissewa Leaf Extract
* Plum Juice
* Potassium Sorbate
* L-Proline
* Propenylguaethol
* Propionic Acid
* Propyl Acetate
* Propyl para-Hydroxybenzoate
* Propylene Glycol
* 3-Propylidenephthalide
* Prune Juice and Concentrate
* Pyridine
* Pyroligneous Acid And Extract
* Pyrrole
* Pyruvic Acid

R
* Raisin Juice Concentrate
* Rhodinol
* Rose Absolute and Oil
* Rosemary Oil
* Rum
* Rum Ether
* Rye Extract

S
* Sage, Sage Oil, and Sage Oleoresin
* Salicylaldehyde
* Sandalwood Oil, Yellow
* Sclareolide
* Skatole
* Smoke Flavor
* Snakeroot Oil
* Sodium Acetate
* Sodium Benzoate
* Sodium Bicarbonate
* Sodium Carbonate
* Sodium Chloride
* Sodium Citrate
* Sodium Hydroxide
* Solanone
* Spearmint Oil
* Styrax Extract, Gum and Oil
* Sucrose Octaacetate
* Sugar Alcohols
* Sugars

T
* Tagetes Oil
* Tannic Acid
* Tartaric Acid
* Tea Leaf and Absolute
* alpha-Terpineol
* Terpinolene
* Terpinyl Acetate
* 5,6,7,8-Tetrahydroquinoxaline
* 1,5,5,9-Tetramethyl-13-Oxatricyclo(8.3.0.0(4,9))Tridecane
* 2,3,4,5, and 3,4,5,6-Tetramethylethyl-Cyclohexanone
* 2,3,5,6-Tetramethylpyrazine
* Thiamine Hydrochloride
* Thiazole
* L-Threonine
* Thyme Oil, White and Red
* Thymol
* Tobacco Extracts
* Tocopherols (mixed)
* Tolu balsam Gum and Extract
* Tolualdehydes
* para-Tolyl 3-Methylbutyrate
* para-Tolyl Acetaldehyde
* para-Tolyl Acetate
* para-Tolyl Isobutyrate
* para-Tolyl Phenylacetate
* Triacetin
* 2-Tridecanone
* 2-Tridecenal
* Triethyl Citrate
* 3,5,5-Trimethyl-1-Hexanol
* para,alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl Alcohol
* 4-(2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohex-1-Enyl)But-2-En-4-One
* 2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohex-2-Ene-1,4-Dione
* 2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-Dienyl Methan
* 4-(2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-Dienyl)But-2-En-4-One
* 2,2,6-Trimethylcyclohexanone
* 2,3,5-Trimethylpyrazine
* L-Tyrosine

U
* delta-Undercalactone
* gamma-Undecalactone
* Undecanal
* 2-Undecanone,1
* 0-Undecenal
* Urea

V
* Valencene
* Valeraldehyde
* Valerian Root Extract, Oil and Powder
* Valeric Acid
* gamma-Valerolactone
* Valine
* Vanilla Extract And Oleoresin
* Vanillin
* Veratraldehyde
* Vetiver Oil
* Vinegar
* Violet Leaf Absolute

W
* Walnut Hull Extract
* Water
* Wheat Extract And Flour
* Wild Cherry Bark Extract
* Wine and Wine Sherry

X
* Xanthan Gum
* 3,4-Xylenol

Y
* Yeast

So, the next time tobacco farmers want to get angry with someone, get angry with the cigarette producers for replacing tobacco with chemical crap and with....air.

An improved process for expanding tobacco is disclosed wherein tobacco components such as stems, midribs and veins are contacted with an alkaline-hydrogen peroxide solution to effect expansion, washed and then dried and/or roasted to produce an expanded tobacco material highly suitable for use in smoking products. Prior to contact with the alkaline hydrogen peroxide solution, the tobacco materials are subjected to a pretreatment step with gaseous ozone to prevent clumping and/or interadherence of the tobacco shreds which would otherwise occur during the drying step.

Robert P.'s picture

Hemp or "hemp"

There has been a movement to legalize the growing of hemp, an american crop that George Washington farmed. It is good for many things, including the milk we drink at our house. But, maybe we should just switch to growing legal pot in North Carolina. Less blood on our hands.

I Twitter, Therefore I Am.

loftT's picture

Hemp is an awesome plant.

You can even make car parts out of it.

1941 Ford...


Progressive Democrats of North Carolina

Robert P.'s picture

The plastic car.....

Available in 1941, sold to the public in the 1980s (Saturn).

Think the gas companies had anything to do with that?

I Twitter, Therefore I Am.

Fantastic post, Robert

Highly recommended.

Robert P.'s picture

Thanks James.

I wonder if people who smoke tobacco the old-fashioned way had all these problems?

I Twitter, Therefore I Am.

loftT's picture

Grow your own?

Tobacco that is. Any law against it?

Progressive Democrats of North Carolina

Robert P.'s picture

I doubt there is a law against it.

I mean, farmers are just people. Well, unless you're a gigantic agro business.

I Twitter, Therefore I Am.

The Pit

Robert,

You aren't one of those guys who stand in the Pit behind the "Legalize Hemp" table, are you? I always admired their dedication to textile and rope alternatives. I'm quite a fan of Hempen Ale, but I haven't had any in a while.

Robert P.'s picture

Ha! No. I'm not that big of a hemp-o-phile

In fact, I wouldn't know where to even pick up some hempish material if I wanted to, to my knowledge.

----insert witty remark here----coming soon----

Products of Pyrolysis/Combustion

It's become something of an urban legend that smoking tobacco is harmful only or principally because the tobacco companies are putting chemicals into cigarettes. It would be great if that were true because then people could smoke natural tobacco cigarettes that wouldn't give them cancer, but it's not true.

Some carcinogens are found in tobacco itself (which is why people who chew tobacco get mouth cancer). The vast majority of the chemicals in the list you give above are products of pyrolysis/combustion, and would result from the burning of 100% pure tobacco. The low temperature at which cigarettes burn causes very incomplete combustion and the substances already present in the tobacco itself are converted to carcinogens.

I cringe everytime I see someone smoking "Natural American Spirit" cigarettes, because I'm sure the people smoking them think they are safer because they are "natural". They aren't.

Robert P.'s picture

I think you misunderstood.

When I was looking into this I saw that there were over 4000 chemicals in tobacco and/or tobacco smoke during burning. That is much different than the list of 500+ chemicals that are added to the cigarettes - those are what I listed above. All of those are additives, not from the burning of natural tobacco. Tobacco burning does have a number of chemicals that are carcinogens and are not additives. However, there are carcinogens and then there are carcinogens. Peanut butter has peanut agglutinin which is a carcinogen, a pretty potent one in cell cultures as I remember. But, I haven't seen much data that it actually causes much cancer in humans.

Either way, it is interesting that marijuana smoking has no association with cancer. I'll bet there are carcinogens in marijuana.

----insert witty remark here----coming soon----

Yes

I should have looked more closely at the list. The premise of this diary that cigarette companies are solely to blame is false though. Smoking tobacco is intrisically dangerous. If there were a way to smoke a cigarette at 6000C, then maybe it wouldn't be, but at a temperature such as that the nicotine would also combust, defeating the purpose of the cigarette.

I'm skeptical of the claim that smoking marijuana has no risk. The same considerations of low temperature combustion apply to marijuana as apply to tobacco. The inability to find lung cancer risk from marijuana might just come down to dosage. There aren't many people who smoke 20 joints a day.

Still, given what we know about combustion, someone who wanted to use marijuana as safely as possible would be better off eating it or using a vaporizer.

You haven't met my neighbor.

There aren't many people who smoke 20 joints a day.

:) I'm really kidding. I don't think it's that many.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors

Brunette's picture

I don't think Robert was saying there's no risk with mj

But those added chemicals in the tobacco undoubtedly contribute significantly to the disease threat. In fact, I think this issue has already been hashed out, but it has been a long, long time since I dug up the report that discussed specific effects of the additives.

Smoke in the lungs is not good for the lungs, no matter the source. But the difference between the modern cigarette and what native Americans smoked is not minor.

Contribute significantly?

Do you have data showing that 100% tobacco cigarettes are any safer than cigarettes with additives?

The problem is that most smokers don't understand that the most of the stuff that will kill them (carbon monoxide, polycyclic aromatics, nitroamines) aren't in the cigarette when it is unlit. It's produced by the cigarette when it burns, whether that is 100% "natural" tobacco or something with additives. People who smoke Natural American Spirits or anything other "natural" cigarettes because they think they are safer are kidding themselves.

Comparing to what the Native Americans smoked is also misleading. Native Americans hadn't bred brightleaf or burley tobacco and they didn't smoke tobacco in cigarette form, so it's unlikely that they inhaled tobacco smoke into their lungs. It's also unlikely that they smoked tobacco on a daily rather than occasional ritual basis.

Brunette's picture

Yes, contribute significantly

I haven't looked at the data on the chemicals added to tobacco for over fifteen years, and am not about to go digging it up now. The data wasn't comparing marijuana and tobacco, but rather tobacco itself with tobacco plus the additives.

You keep reading more into the posts than anyone has suggested. No one suggested pot was "safe" and no one said pure tobacco was "safe." But yeah, I would bet money that either leaf is safer to smoke without the additives than with.

Your arguments remind me of an adorable little presentation I saw a tobacco lobbyist put on for a law firm. Apparently, big tobacco was planning on touting this new product that was "better than the human nose," he said. The lobbyist explained that the human nose is very flawed and that sometimes when we smell smoke, we assume that that means there is smoke. This is wrong, he said. Scientific research has enabled us (Tobacco co.) to develop this instrument that can actually measure the particulates in the air, so that we can assure nonsmokers that just because they smell smoke in a restaurant, that doesn't mean that it is actually polluting their air."

I thought I'd lose it, but behaved myself and sat there taking notes as though what the man was saying were perfectly reasonable.

Apparently that dawg didn't hunt, because I haven't heard a thing about it since then -- and that was about 18 years ago.

I don't understand why you think that because Native Americans didn't smoke "cigarettes" they didn't inhale. I bet you they damned well did inhale.

But leaving the Native Americans aside, you seem to be straining to downplay the difference between the product as it existed prior to the additives and the product post-additives. I just don't think that dawg is gonna hunt.

Robert P.'s picture

About doubts.

All I can do is paste what the study leaders have to say. This isn't some fly-by-night study.

Tashkin's study, funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse, involved 1,200 people in Los Angeles who had lung, neck or head cancer and an additional 1,040 people without cancer matched by age, sex and neighborhood.

They were all asked about their lifetime use of marijuana, tobacco and alcohol. The heaviest marijuana smokers had lighted up more than 22,000 times, while moderately heavy usage was defined as smoking 11,000 to 22,000 marijuana cigarettes. Tashkin found that even the very heavy marijuana smokers showed no increased incidence of the three cancers studied.

"This is the largest case-control study ever done, and everyone had to fill out a very extensive questionnaire about marijuana use," he said. "Bias can creep into any research, but we controlled for as many confounding factors as we could, and so I believe these results have real meaning."

Tashkin's group at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA had hypothesized that marijuana would raise the risk of cancer on the basis of earlier small human studies, lab studies of animals, and the fact that marijuana users inhale more deeply and generally hold smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers -- exposing them to the dangerous chemicals for a longer time. In addition, Tashkin said, previous studies found that marijuana tar has 50 percent higher concentrations of chemicals linked to cancer than tobacco cigarette tar.

While no association between marijuana smoking and cancer was found, the study findings, presented to the American Thoracic Society International Conference this week, did find a 20-fold increase in lung cancer among people who smoked two or more packs of cigarettes a day.

So, 22,000 times. If you figure a pack of cigs is 20, which a 2-pack habit is 40 cigs/day. 22,000/40 = ~550 days. I guess you would be hard pressed to find someone who smoked 40 joints a day. On the other hand, found this about smoking 1-4 cigarettes per day.

In both sexes, smoking 1–4 cigarettes per day was associated with a significantly higher risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease and from all causes, and from lung cancer in women. Smoking control policymakers and health educators should emphasise more strongly that light smokers also endanger their health.

So, now we're talking about 22,000 days of joint smoking causing no cancer, but 1 a day cigarette smoking causing lung cancer.

Anyway, I don't think we could really argue that all those additives are good for you. So, they should take them out and make cigarettes out of just tobacco.

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BlueNCtv

Thanks, LoftT. This is hilarious.


TrueMeckDem on Myers Park Pat

"My opinion of Pat has changed over the years. I used to think he was truly a man of the people but the longer he has been mayor, the less I think of him.

As with most cities, Charlotte has three political parties: Dem, Rep, and Chamber of Commerce. Pat is definitely the puppet of the COC here. What is good for business is good for Charlotte and Pat ... very personable guy, he has gotten a bunch of Dems in these parts to vote for him but I don't trust him."

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