News from the Department of Medicine

Kaminsky Comments in USA Today Article on Smoking Marijuana vs. Cigarettes

November 15, 2022 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(NOVEMBER 15, 2022) In a USA Today article on a new study suggesting that smoking marijuana may do more damage to lungs than cigarettes, pulmonary and critical care physician David Kaminsky, M.D., professor of medicine (who is unaffiliated with the study), commented, “It’s no surprise to me. A burning leaf is a burning leaf ... the lung doesn’t know the difference if it’s tobacco or marijuana.”

David Kaminsky, M.D.

(NOVEMBER 15, 2022) In a USA Today article on a new study suggesting that smoking marijuana may do more damage to lungs than cigarettes, pulmonary and critical care physician David Kaminsky, M.D., professor of medicine (who is unaffiliated with the study), commented, “It’s no surprise to me. A burning leaf is a burning leaf ... the lung doesn’t know the difference if it’s tobacco or marijuana.” The study, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Radiology, found that marijuana may be linked to an increased risk of emphysema compared with smoking tobacco alone. This research was also covered by the Chicago Sun Times and ExBulletin.

Read full story at USA Today