POT, TOBACCO FOUND EQUALLY HARMFUL

Research - Smoking pot can cause as much damage to cells and dna as
tobacco smoke, according to a group of Canadian researchers who are
challenging the belief that marijuana is less harmful than cigarettes.

Rebecca Maertens, a researcher from health Canada and coauthor of the
study, says many Canadians believe marijuana smoke is less toxic and
causes less damage than tobacco because pot is "natural."

Neither marijuana nor the main psychoactive component of the plant,
thC, has been shown to cause cancer. negative health effects induced
by smoking marijuana, such as chronic bronchitis, have been well
documented, as have other negative health effects.

Although marijuana smoke caused significantly more damage to cells
and dna than tobacco, according to the study, only tobacco smoke
caused chromosome damage.