What is more harmful, cigarettes or blunts?

While there are clear differences between tobacco and marijuana, they share one thing with the fact that the smoke they produce damages people’s lungs. Regardless of the contents of the wrapping paper, the fact that your ashes are ingested is harmful and can have an impact later in your life.

But which is more harmful: cigarettes or blunts? There are some studies that look at both that find some differences that are important to your overall health.

Tobacco is very carcinogenic

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When comparing cannabis and tobacco, cannabis is the clear winner. Tobacco is a potent carcinogen that is also very addicting. While cannabis can be addictive and toxic when ingested through smoke, your body is not exposed to the same levels of toxicity as it is when you use tobacco.

Tobacco contains over 4,000 different chemical compounds, many of which have links to cancer.

Cigarettes are smoked more often than blunts

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Another disadvantage of cigarette smoking is related to the number of cigarettes that are smoked each day. Moderate cigarette smokers smoke 1 to 5 cigarettes a day. The more they use cigarettes, the more likely they are to develop lung cancer and heart disease.

RELATED: What’s the Difference Between Spliffs, Joints, and Blunts?

While blunts are harmful and result in a lot of ingested smoke, they are also consumed much less frequently. Unlike cigarettes, blunts are usually shared and not consumed on a daily basis.

But cigarettes have filters

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One thing that cigarettes that blunts don’t have is the presence of filters that can prevent the amount of tar and ash your lungs are exposed to. While the filter does very little in preventing cancer, it is a beneficial benefit. Blunts are larger and produce more ash and tar with no filters between them and your mouth.

At the end of the day, it’s all about personal preference. Blunt smokers have an advantage over cigarette smokers as they can find other ways to ingest cannabis. Also, light to moderate cannabis use has not been linked to lung cancer, so it’s important to stay moderate.