[Cannabis: Similarities and differences with tobacco].

Nicotine is tobacco's psychoactive substance, while tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is cannabis's. Cannabis is inhaled differently than tobacco: larger puffs, deeper inhalation, longer lung retention. Cannabis addiction is hard to assess because both substances are often smoked together. Cannabis causes physical side effects similar to tobacco's, affecting the lungs, heart, hormones, and mouth. It also causes gastrointestinal issues like cannabinoid hyperemesis. THC's psychological effects can be acute—altered perception, decreased vigilance, mood and dissociative disorders, hallucinations, impaired learning and memory, panic attacks—or chronic, including lack of motivation, disorganized thinking, and more frequent and severe schizophrenic crises. Cannabis is linked to traffic and workplace accidents. Synthetic cannabinoids have stronger psychotropic and somatic effects due to greater affinity for brain cannabinoid receptors.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Nicotine is the specific psychoactive substance of tobacco while tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the specific component of cannabis. The inhalation technique of cannabis is different from that of tobacco smoking: the volume of puffs is larger, inhalation is deeper, and pulmonary retention time is longer. Cannabis addiction is difficult to evaluate, both products often being smoked concomitantly. The principle physical side effects of cannabis affect organs and functions in a similar way to tobacco: pulmonary, cardiovascular, endocrine and stomatological. Gastrointestinal complications such as cannabinoid hyperemesis are specific to cannabis. Some psychological effects of THC may be acute (altered time and space perception, sensory disability, decreased vigilance, mood and dissociative disorders, hallucinations and delirium, impaired learning and memory, impaired cognitive and motor performance, panic attacks and anxiety) or chronic (lack of motivation, disorganisation of thoughts, increase in frequency and severity of schizophrenic crises). Cannabis can also be implicated in traffic and workplace accidents. Synthetic cannabinoids have increased psychotropic and somatic effects due to a greater affinity for brain cannabinoid receptors.