GardenersCardiff answers:

There are two major reasons as to the health differences

today when you buy a pack of cigarettes, you are not just buying the tobacco, you are buying chemicals to prevent the cigarette from starting a fire, you are buying preservatives, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, etc.
*due to certain types of select fertilizers that are used, and the sources of those fertilizers, a build up of radiation can also take place on the tobacco fields *though this statement about radiation and fertilizer is still controversial in my opinion and others*

people have been smoking tobacco for thousands of years, we never had cancer rates like we do today until major tobaco came into play along with govt “regulations”

the 2nd major reason is frequency
most cigarette smokers smoke 1-2+ packs a day, thats a significant amount, and its a constant assault on the lungs, the lungs never have a chance to heal or relax

now as far as marijuana goes

people will say, what about their pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, preservatives, etc?

Well, that is true, and a significant problem with low quality marijuana, however, higher quality, and more locally produced products are free from those substances, they also do not use preservatives, or the chemicals that are required by govt safety regulation

so with properly grown marijuana, those negative effects you experience in tobacco products are not present

as far as frequency goes

marijuana is consumed differently, its not a chain thing, you rarely have a user that smokes 1-2+ packs of marijuana a day, a user consumes much less marijuana per day then a cigarette smoker, and the lungs have a longer period in between to recover

along with frequency, its consumed differently in that it can be smoked through a glass pipe instead of in cigarette form, or other various forms such as vaporization or eating it, causing far less damage to the lungs, on a less frequent basis

it also has been shown scientifically and is prescribed in many states and countries around the world as a treatment for asthma

there have also been studies done where they have found a select strain of marijuana, in a laboratory setting contains select chemical compounds that has been proven to kill select forms of lung cancer

currently, while marijuana can be healthier then tobacco, if used wrong, it could be just as dangerous

it can also have a great deal of medical benefits and our species would benefit a tremendous amount from further study and refinement of this species of plant

i have come to these conclusions after a great deal of study and consult with doctors from multiple states including california and ny, and my own personal studies of countless pages of research that has been released to the public

GardenersCardiff answers:

You will STILL get cancer, Bubba.
When nicotine mixes with your saliva & enters your bloodstream, it increases your chances of getting mouth, tongue, gum, throat, lung or pancreatic cancer.
It can also interrupt blood flow to your penis resulting in diminished sex drive & cause erectile dysfunction or impotence. – but – I forgot – you already KNEW that! Right?