Cigarettes also contain tobacco-specific nitrosamines, or TSNAs. Nitrosamines are chemical compounds that exist in dozens of foods and drinks you consume every day, including beer, bacon, and certain types of fish and cheese. While some nitrosamines are harmless, most of them are carcinogenic, which means they increase the risk of developing cancer. As the name should make clear, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which develop during the curing process and are unique to tobacco cigarettes.
In addition to all the man-made ingredients added to tobacco cigarettes, the tobacco itself is harmful. The act of lighting a cigarette – in other words, burning tobacco – creates a nasty byproduct you’re already familiar with: black, sticky tar.
Burning Cannabis can also produce tar, which is why patients are urged to avoid combustion and vaporize their Cannabis instead. Vaporization heats the Cannabis to a temperature that is hot enough to release cannabinoids like THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), but not hot enough to result in the combustion process that creates tar. A study published in Harm Reduction Journal in 2007 found that “the respiratory effects of [C]annabis can decrease with the use of a vaporizer. The data reveal that respiratory symptoms like cough, phlegm, and tightness in the chest increase with cigarette use and [C]annabis use, but are less severe among users of a vaporizer.” In short, vaporization is the safest method of using medical marijuana.