MARIJUANA SMOKE CAN DAMAGE CELLS AND DNA JUST AS SEVERELY AS TOBACCO
PRODUCTS CAN: STUDY

(CNS) - 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 co-author of
the study, says many Canadians believe marijuana smoke is less toxic,
and causes less damage than tobacco because pot is "natural."

Despite several experiments that show marijuana use to have adverse
health effects, the prevalence of marijuana use in Canada has
increased over the past decade, while the incidence of tobacco use
has decreased.

Nearly one quarter of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24
reported using marijuana in the previous 12 months according to 2006
Statistics Canada report -- over 14 per cent of those said they used it daily.

The team behind this new study suggested that a lack of understanding
about the dangers of marijuana plays a part in why youth are so
cavalier about smoking it.

Neither marijuana nor the main psychoactive component of the plant,
THC, has been shown to cause cancer.

There are, however, substances in marijuana that can be harmful to a person.

Negative health effects induced by smoking marijuana, such as chronic
bronchitis, have been well documented, as have other negative health effects.