Ever wondered if you can keep up the puff, puff, pass tradition without sacrificing lung health?

It’s a tricky balance.

Any kind of smoke, including cannabis smoke, is harmful to your lungs.

The safest route to sidestep these risks is by opting for alternatives like edibles or tinctures. But, if you’re set on smoking cannabis, there are strategies to minimize the impact on your lungs.

Let’s start by understanding what’s really in cannabis smoke and what it means for your lung health.

Cannabis smoke hosts several irritants and carcinogenic compounds, similar to tobacco smoke.

Some of these include:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – Compounds like benzopyrene and bezanthracene, also found in vehicle exhausts, coal tar, and grilled meat.

• Carbon monoxide – This gas reduces the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity and is linked to respiratory issues.

• Tar – Cannabis smoke contains tar, a sticky, cancer-causing residue harmful to lung tissue.

• Ammonia – Irritates the lungs and respiratory tract; high levels found in cannabis smoke.

Compared to tobacco, cannabis smokers tend to inhale deeper, and they hold the smoke in their lungs much longer to help increase the effects, which can increase the risk of exposure to these harmful chemicals.

Many cannabis smokers also smoke their joints down to the very end. As the joint burns down, tar and other carcinogenic substances get more concentrated, making the last few puffs very rich in these harmful chemicals.

It might be possible to develop lung cancer from regularly smoking cannabis.

Over a 40-year study involving nearly 50,000 young adult men, results suggested that habitual cannabis smokers had more than double the risk of developing lung cancer compared to non-smokers.

Researchers tracked the impact of smoking cannabis over 40 years among nearly 50,000 young adult men. Results indicated that regular cannabis smokers more than doubled the risk of developing lung cancer. Another study revealed that smoking just one joint a day over the course of a year could increase lung cancer risk by 8% in adults under 55.

While more studies are undoubtedly needed to solidify the connection, the current research points the finger toward regular cannabis smoking as a potential risk factor for lung cancer.

Regular weed smokers may face other long-term health issues, such as:

• Chronic bronchitis
• Persistent coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Asthma attacks
• Increased phlegm production
• Wheezing
• Elevated blood pressure

It’s also been noted that clinical practices frequently observe bullous lung disease – a condition where large air sacs are present in the lungs – in regular cannabis smokers. More published studies are needed to confirm this association.

Where there’s smoke, there’s harm, especially to your lungs if inhaled.

If you’re not ready to give up your sessions but want to puff smarter, consider these lung-friendly tips:

Use a water pipe or bong – Smoking out of a water pipe or bong where a water reservoir can filter and cool the smoke before being inhaled might help reduce exposure risk.

Add filters to joints – Filters are small pieces of paper or cardboard placed at the end of a joint to help filter toxic particles like ash and tar. Choose natural materials and avoid coated materials, which can leach harmful chemicals.

Try edibles or tinctures – These smoking alternatives completely get rid of the risks associated with smoking cannabis.

Take smaller hits—Take smaller puffs and exhale quickly. No one’s handing out awards for lung capacity here.

Do not mix cannabis with tobacco – Some smokers mix together cannabis and tobacco, which significantly increases health risks than smoking either alone.

Regular exercise and breathing techniques – Engage in regular cardiovascular activities like walking, running, or weight lifting to help boost lung capacity. Daily deep breathing exercises can also help strengthen your lungs and overall respiratory health.

Stay hydrated – Drinking plenty of water may help thin out built-up mucus in your lungs that developed from regularly smoking.

Lung function test – Taking a lung function test can help you understand the health status of your lungs. These tests will also help monitor and diagnose potential lung diseases or general damage from exposure to weed smoking.

There isn’t a surefire, quick way to “detox” your lungs after smoking cannabis. Nevertheless, there are ways to support your lung health more naturally.

1. Stop Smoking

The best detox is to reduce smoking or stop it altogether and switch to methods like edibles or tinctures. This will reduce or completely stop the amount of smoke entering your lungs which can also reduce the exposure to toxic irritants and chemicals in weed smoke.

2. Deep Breathing

Engaging in regular deep breathing exercises can help improve lung function and capacity over time.

Deep breathing helps expand the lungs more fully, which will help you take in more oxygen per breath over time and strengthen respiratory muscles you use for breathing, like the diaphragm.

3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

As mentioned earlier, drinking plenty of water will help to thin mucus out over time, making it easier to cough up or clear.

4. Steam Therapy

Steam therapy is becoming a go-to method for some smokers to try and loosen mucus and phlegm in nasal passages, sinuses, and lungs.