Is One Safer from Health Risks?  

Let’s be real, smoking anything isn’t necessarily good for your lungs. Combusting plant material creates tar, fine particles, and toxins that can irritate or inflame your respiratory system. But the type of plant you’re smoking makes a big difference. 

Tobacco, in any form whether factory-made, hand rolled, smoked in a pipe, chewed, or packed into a hookah delivers nicotine. Nicotine is not only highly addictive but also negatively affects the user’s heart rate, blood pressure and brain chemistry. While people often assume that rolling their own “natural” tobacco is somehow safer, the research doesn’t support that. Burning tobacco releases tar,  carbon monoxide, and carcinogenic compounds, regardless of how it’s consumed. 

Regular tobacco use has been directly linked to:

• Lung Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Chronic Bronchitis
• Stroke
• Peripheral Vascular Disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

Cigarettes have been extensively studied for decades, and the science is crystal clear: cigarettes are the leading causes of preventable disease, disability, and death worldwide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). And while commercial cigarettes are the most infamous, rolled tobacco and pipes carry many of the same risks, especially when used frequently. 

Now compare that to marijuana, which is typically smoked less often and has not shown a strong link to lung cancer in current research. However, heavy cannabis smoking can lead to:

• Lung irritation
• Persistent coughing
• Excess mucus and bronchial inflammation 
  

The method of consumption also matters here. Although tobacco users have similar options to cannabis for reducing harm, such as filtered pipes, vaporizers, or dissolvable edibles, most users are satisfied with a commercial cigarette. Tobacco is regularly smoked through cigarettes and sometimes other forms whereas cannabis is regularly smoked through varying methods and the market is only growing. Weedgets designs tools like filter tips and our Maze-X Pipes that make smoking gentler on your throat and lungs, helping users minimize irritation without changing how they enjoy their flower.

It's also worth noting that some cannabinoids, like CBD and THC, have shown potential anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, or bronchodilating effects in lab and animal studies (Cabrera et al., 2021). However, it is crucial to remember those benefits are not guaranteed when cannabis is smoked. Most research focuses on isolated compounds under controlled conditions, not on real-world smoking behavior, which still introduces heat and toxins into the lungs. 

The bottom line is both carry risks, but tobacco’s addictive nature and stronger link to life-threatening diseases make it the more dangerous long-term choice, whether you roll your own or not.

Joint vs. Cigarettes: How Are They Smoked? 

At first glance, a joint and a cigarette might look pretty similar: both are slender rolls of dried plant material wrapped in paper and smoked. But what’s inside and how people smoke them makes a big difference in how they affect your body. 

Cigarettes are typically smoked in short, frequent puffs, often throughout the day. Most smokers inhale deeply and fully, bringing the smoke into the lungs and holding it there for a moment before exhaling. In the US, the average number of cigarettes per day is:

• 25% of people smoke more than 24 cigarettes or just over a pack a day.
• 43% smoke between 15-24 cigarettes a day
• 58% smoke fewer than 15 cigarettes a day

The sheer volume of use means a high and repeated exposure of toxic combustion byproducts. Also just like raw tobacco, cigarettes contain nicotine which only drives that frequent use even more and makes quitting extremely difficult. 

Joints, on the other hand, usually contain just cannabis, no nicotine, and they tend to be smoked less frequently. Many cannabis users don’t smoke every day but even daily users typically consume far fewer joints than cigarette smokers consume cigarettes. Some users inhale deep and hold in the smoke (a common misconception that it increases the high), but others prefer short, slow draws, especially if they’re using tools to produce even smoother smoke. 

Another difference? Filtration. Most cigarettes come with built-in filters designed to reduce harshness (though they don’t protect against health risks). Joints sometimes contain filters, it can be dependent on the user’s preference. Filters made for cannabis serve the purpose of not only reducing harshness but filtering out larger particles and resin before they reach the user’s lungs. 

Smoke temperature is another factor that tends to be overlooked. When you smoke from a joint, the hot smoke travels directly from the burning tip into the mouth and lungs, often without cooling. This high heat can irritate delicate lung tissue and make coughing worse. Cigarettes are designed to burn at specific controlled temperatures, balancing taste and harshness. Although still hot enough to produce toxic chemicals, they aren’t engineered to minimize them, only to manage user experience. The Maze-X Pipe has a unique airflow design to cool smoke before it hits your throat, helping to reduce coughing and discomfort.

And then there’s the burning material. Cigarettes include chemically treated tobacco wrapped in bleached paper. Joints can vary too, some use bleached rolling papers while others go natural or even use hemp-based wraps. But again, what’s not in the joint (no additives, no nicotine) often makes it the less processed option. 

Although joints and cigarettes look alike, they’re not smoked the same way and usually not used in the same frequency, nor do they carry the same chemical baggage. Understanding these differences can help users make more conscious choices about what and how they’re inhaling.