Tobacco and Marijuana Smoke an Irritant to Throat and Lungs – Poses Health Issues with Aging

Smoking has health consequences, whether you smoke a little or a lot. We all know the health risk of smoking tobacco. These risks increase as we age. What about Marijuana?

First, with tobacco, According to CDC, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. In 2020, 12.5% of U.S. adults (an estimated 30.8 million people) smoked cigarettes. 

Even an occasional cigarette can be harmful. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) study shows that people who consistently smoked an average of less than one cigarette per day over their lifetimes had a 64% higher risk of earlier death. Those who smoked one to ten cigarettes daily had an 87% greater risk.

Researchers reviewed questionnaires from more than 290,000 older adults and examined their history of cigarette smoking and cause of death.

Cigarette Use is Never Safe

Many people, particularly those who are younger, erroneously believe that smoking a few cigarettes a day or a week is fairly safe, says pulmonologist Humberto Choi, MD of the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Choi, who specializes in thoracic oncology and critical care, did not take part in the study.

These people, unfortunately, may be substantially underestimating the health consequences.

Regardless of how many cigarettes you smoke each day, it's important to kick the habit, Dr. Choi says. Light, long-term smokers who quit were able to lower their risk of death – and the younger they were when they quit, the better, the study says.

Marijuana Use is Increasing

Marijuana use has increased in the United States and worldwide in the past few years. According to some statistics:

• Marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States; 48.2 million people, or about 18% of Americans, used it at least once in 2019, according to the CDC. This is an increase from 43.5 million people, or about 16% of Americans, who used it at least once in 2018.

• According to WHO, approximately 147 million people, or 2.5% of the global population, consume marijuana. This number is bigger, according to Statista, which reports that there were more than 219 million marijuana users worldwide in 2017.

Health Issues With Marijuana

Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke irritates the throat and lungs and can cause a heavy cough during use. It also contains volatile chemicals and tar, like tobacco smoke, raising concerns about the risk for cancer and lung disease.

Unlike FDA-approved medications, marijuana has no established dosage, safety, or efficacy studies. The active ingredient in marijuana is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and many tissues in your body have THC receptors. That means marijuana can have some effect on virtually every organ, and that effect is also virtually unknown.

Dr. Steven Insler from the Cleveland Clinic says little is known about the potential health benefits of marijuana.

We have limited knowledge about the potential benefit of marijuana, but given the information about potential negative side effects, its use as part of an overall treatment plan for a specific disease should be done under a doctor's supervision. 

Heart Issues and Marijuana 

Several documented studies show that marijuana use is associated with increased heart rate and fluctuations in blood pressure, which may be implicated in developing heart attacks or strokes.

More recently, a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association reported that there are potential cardiovascular dangers to young adults using marijuana.

A study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session, Together With the World Congress of Cardiology, showed that daily marijuana users were approximately one-third more likely to develop coronary artery disease (CAD) than those who had never used the drug. This links marijuana usage with an increased risk of CAD.

Ishan Paranjpe, MD, a resident physician at Stanford University and the study's lead author, says there are probably certain health issues of cannabis use that weren't recognized before, and people should consider them.

We found that cannabis use is linked to CAD, and there seems to be a dose-response relationship in that more frequent cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of CAD. 

Dr. Insler says that while research is still limited, what we do know appears to show a damaging effect on the cardiovascular system.

Mental Health and Marijuana

There is also concern regarding the correlation between marijuana use and mental health issues among older adults. The use of marijuana among those suffering from depression, anxiety, and even early dementia could pose additional health-related problems.

A study warns that marijuana use may increase susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease after finding the drug severely reduces blood flow in an area of the brain affected by the illness. Researchers suggest marijuana use may increase susceptibility to Alzheimer's by reducing blood flow in the hippocampus.

Published in the Alzheimer's Disease, the study reveals that individuals with a marijuana use disorder showed reduced blood flow in nearly all areas of the brain compared with healthy controls.

When blood flow in the brain is reduced, this causes a reduction in the amount of oxygen that reaches brain cells, which can cause brain tissue damage and death.

Even occasional marijuana use can cause structural changes to brain regions related to motivation, emotion, and reward, according to one study.

Aging and Health

As someone approaches their 50s, they generally have more health issues, including high blood pressure, heart issues, and cancer. Even occasional use of either tobacco or cannabis may make existing issues a more significant problem later in life.

Many of those issues could lead to early death and cause an even greater need for long-term health care. These health issues also greatly impact your savings, and care costs for long-term care are not covered by health insurance or Medicare.

Tobacco and Marijuana Use and LTC Insurance

Many people are including Long-Term Care Insurance as part of their retirement planning. However, your use of tobacco and marijuana could impact your ability to even get a policy or affect your ability to get preferred health rates and lower premiums.

Some insurance companies will automatically decline your application if you have current medical use of marijuana in your medical records. Recreational use is generally acceptable unless someone uses it daily or combined with a DWI conviction.

Tobacco use will prevent you from getting preferred health rates. If you smoke or use marijuana, tell your Long-Term Care Insurance specialist. They must review insurance company underwriting guidelines to make the best recommendation.

The best advice is to quit smoking or don't start. Don't fool yourself that occasional use is ok. Your doctor may have ideas on how to make it easier to quit.