Perplexity "Deep Research" report on Cannabis health effects...

zeebudz

Well-Known Member
Thanks, this search helped me find this article, which supports vaping... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4456813/

I'm also interested or wondering in how the negative impacts compare to eating too much sugar, animal fat, etc.... I'm probably doing more harm to my body with sweets/sugar and bacon/fried chicken than dhv and tinctures.
If you are interested in herb vaping studies, here are a couple more for you:

Medicinal Cannabis: In Vitro Validation of Vaporizers for the Smoke-Free Inhalation of Cannabis

Acute Effects of Smoked and Vaporized Cannabis in Healthy Adults Who Infrequently Use Cannabis
 

buford

Well-Known Member
"research-grade cannabis"

This term refers to the standardized weed produced by NIDA that was until very recently the only cannabis that could be used in US cannabis research. DEA was in the process of approving new suppliers in 2021, and may now have done so; it is unlikely that many/any studies have yet been published based on the new sources, if any were ever actually approved.

The NIDA "research-grade cannabis" is well known to be of extremely poor quality compared to legal-state commercial, dispensary, or black-market, weed. Sorry to burst your bubble.
 

zeebudz

Well-Known Member
This term refers to the standardized weed produced by NIDA that was until very recently the only cannabis that could be used in US cannabis research. DEA was in the process of approving new suppliers in 2021, and may now have done so; it is unlikely that many/any studies have yet been published based on the new sources, if any were ever actually approved.

The NIDA "research-grade cannabis" is well known to be of extremely poor quality compared to legal-state commercial, dispensary, or black-market, weed. Sorry to burst your bubble.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the sole producer of Cannabis for research purposes in the United States, including medical investigation. Previous research established that cannabinoid profiles in the NIDA varieties lacked diversity and potency relative to the Cannabis produced commercially. Additionally, microsatellite marker analyses have established that the NIDA varieties are genetically divergent form varieties produced in the private legal market. Here, we analyzed the genomes of multiple Cannabis varieties from diverse lineages including two produced by NIDA, and we provide further support that NIDA’s varieties differ from widely available medical, recreational, or industrial Cannabis. Furthermore, our results suggest that NIDA’s varieties lack diversity in the single-copy portion of the genome, the maternally inherited genomes, the cannabinoid genes, and in the repetitive content of the genome. Therefore, results based on NIDA’s varieties are not generalizable regarding the effects of Cannabis after consumption. For medical research to be relevant, material that is more widely used would have to be studied. Clearly, having research to date dominated by a single, non-representative source of Cannabis has hindered scientific investigation.

 

old-fart

Maybe not the oldest, but possibly the fartiest!
well, I guess "research grade cannabis" is better then "sushi grade cannabis"! :-)
 
old-fart,

KingNAB

Active Member
Manufacturer
This term refers to the standardized weed produced by NIDA that was until very recently the only cannabis that could be used in US cannabis research. DEA was in the process of approving new suppliers in 2021, and may now have done so; it is unlikely that many/any studies have yet been published based on the new sources, if any were ever actually approved.

The NIDA "research-grade cannabis" is well known to be of extremely poor quality compared to legal-state commercial, dispensary, or black-market, weed. Sorry to burst your bubble.
I was working with a company out of CA that was being evaluated for this purpose as a recruiter back in 2019, but I'm not sure if that ever came to fruition or still in the works. Last I knew the only producer was Ole Miss, and I just saw they were awarded another 5 years in 23'. As of right now it seems they are still the only producer. Quite unfortunate that they haven't made it happen even after repeated admissions that they need more diversity in product. It makes you wonder why that is.

Why do I care? I just got back my blood work for my annual physical, and there are few troubling areas that I will talk to my doctor about. I'm going down the internet rabbit hole to see if there is a connection between a few items in my results and cannabis use. So far, nothing concrete, but I'm learning good stuff.
I hope you're able to make the necessary changes to turn your health around. Obviously eating well (walked, swam, flew, grew) and consistent sleep schedule will have the biggest impact on your physical health. Being consistent with WHEN you eat and sleep is going to set your body and bodily processes up for success, especially the older you get.

As far as consumption goes, specifically with vaporization, the lower the temp (I suggest 338f, THC is released at 314) the less impact it will have on your lung health. Your source material (obviously need more studies on this) is going to make a difference as well. Keeping down inflammation through diet and temp can make a noticeable difference. CBD can help combat inflammation as well as certain foods.
Edibles are definitely the "healthiest" option of each consumption, but you have to deal with dosing issues and onset timing.

As for using Perplexity, I've been using it more and more for both simple and complex research and coding tasks, and I'm impressed with the results so far. It's a tool, nothing more.
Love to hear you're discovering the benefits of AI's! Definitely check into prompt engineering, but no need to pay for this.. plenty of resources online. Open AI even has their own guide to help with this. The main limitation people will have with LLMs is their ability to communicate clearly what they want from it.
 

old-fart

Maybe not the oldest, but possibly the fartiest!
Thanks @KingNAB .

No way I will pay for a prompt class. Maybe if I were younger and still working and my employer paid for it, but not my own money! :-)

As for my health, nothing major showed up in the blood work. Just a few items that are borderline. RBC slightly elevated (6.04 where 6 is the high range). It was 6.42 last year and I wasn't vaping then, so highly unlikely vaping is related. My biggest concern is HDL. In 2022 is started to go down (36 from 44) and has stayed below 40 (35 currently). 40 is the lower end of the recommended range. I eat pretty well, take two omega 3 "fish" pills daily, exercise. I also highly doubt cannabis is affecting this, but as I said earlier, I was just curious as to health effects of cannabis that might show in my blood work (not drug use, but how it affects all the stats in general), so I started querying. Thanks for you concern.
 

buford

Well-Known Member
If you wanted to know about health issues related to vaping, why did you ask the robot about smoking and edibles?

I still think that asking an LLM is a terrible way to get information, and an even worse way to get useful judgements about things that can't simply be looked up, but i would think that asking the bot about the topic you are interested in would be a more useful method that asking about related topics.

Wouldn't asking the bot about health issues related to vaping have been more useful as a way to learn about health issues related to vaping?
 
Last edited:
buford,

old-fart

Maybe not the oldest, but possibly the fartiest!
If you wanted to know about health issues related to vaping, why did you ask the robot about smoking and edibles?

I still think that asking an LLM is a terrible way to get information, and an even worse way to get useful judgements about things that can't simply be looked up, but i would think that asking the bot about the topic you are interested in would be a more useful method that asking about related topics.

Wouldn't asking the bot about health issues related to vaping have been more useful as a way to learn about health issues related to vaping?
great point. At the time I wrote the prompt I considered smoking and vaping to be the same, just different degrees of "smoke". I've learned the fact that many of you already knew, that vapor and smoke are not the same thing.

One thing I like about Perplexity is it keeps a library of my threads, and I can ask follow up questions. The other AI bots likely do the same thing. I asked "would this report be different if the top was vaping instead of smoking?". The result clearly uses studies on carts, not DHV.
[see the full report at the link on the OP.]

If the focus of the report shifted from smoking cannabis to vaping it, the findings would differ in several key areas due to the unique properties and risks associated with vaping. Below is a comparison of the effects of vaping cannabis versus smoking it, based on current scientific knowledge.

Conclusion: Comparing Vaping and Smoking Cannabis

AspectVaping CannabisSmoking Cannabis
Combustion ToxinsLower exposureHigh exposure
Respiratory SymptomsHigher risk (e.g., wheezing, EVALI)1Chronic bronchitis, airway inflammation12
THC DeliveryMore efficient (higher blood levels)6Less efficient
Acute RisksEVALI, metal exposureTar-related lung damage
Long-Term EffectsLess studied; potentially severeWell-documented chronic damage

Switching the report's focus to vaping cannabis would emphasize its unique risks—especially EVALI and higher THC delivery—while acknowledging its reduced exposure to combustion-related toxins compared to smoking. However, both methods pose significant health concerns that warrant further research and regulation.

So then I asked: "is there enough research on "dry herb vaping" to form a conclusion on its health benefits or risks?"

There is currently insufficient research to form definitive conclusions about the health benefits or risks of dry herb vaping cannabis, though preliminary evidence suggests it may reduce some risks associated with smoking while introducing unique concerns. Below is a summary of the available findings based on current studies:

Potential Benefits of Dry Herb Vaping

  1. Reduced Exposure to Combustion Toxins:
    • Dry herb vaporizers heat cannabis to release cannabinoids (e.g., THC, CBD) without combustion, which eliminates many harmful byproducts such as tar, carbon monoxide, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are present in smoke346.
    • Studies suggest that vaporization significantly reduces exposure to carcinogens and respiratory irritants compared to smoking8.
  2. Improved Respiratory Outcomes:
    • Some research indicates that dry herb vaping may lead to fewer chronic respiratory symptoms (e.g., coughing, wheezing) compared to smoking cannabis48. This makes it a potentially safer option for individuals with pre-existing lung conditions like asthma or chronic bronchitis.
  3. Efficient THC Delivery:
    • Dry herb vaporizers provide a more efficient mode of THC delivery compared to smoking, allowing users to achieve the desired effects with smaller doses38. This could reduce overall exposure to harmful substances.

Potential Risks of Dry Herb Vaping

  1. Limited Long-Term Data:
    • While dry herb vaping is perceived as safer than smoking, there is not enough long-term research to fully understand its health impacts. Most studies focus on short-term outcomes, leaving gaps in knowledge about chronic effects such as lung damage or cardiovascular risks46.
  2. Irritation and Lung Injury:
    • Even without combustion, vaporized cannabis may still irritate the lungs. Individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions could experience worsening symptoms from inhaling heated vapor46.
    • There is also concern about particulate matter and other emissions from vaping devices, which may contribute to lung irritation7.
  3. Device-Specific Risks:
    • The safety of dry herb vaping depends on the quality of the vaporizer used. Low-quality devices may release harmful materials (e.g., metals from heating elements) into the vapor4.
    • Poorly regulated products and untested cannabis materials could introduce contaminants that pose health risks.
  4. EVALI Concerns:
    • While most cases of EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury) have been linked to THC-containing vape cartridges rather than dry herb vaporizers, the outbreak highlights the potential dangers of unregulated vaping products and additives6.

Comparison to Smoking Cannabis

AspectDry Herb VapingSmoking Cannabis
Combustion ToxinsSignificantly reducedHigh exposure
Respiratory SymptomsLower risk but still possible irritationChronic bronchitis, airway inflammation
CarcinogensReducedHigh levels
EfficiencyHigher cannabinoid deliveryLess efficient
Long-Term EffectsInsufficient dataWell-documented lung damage

Conclusion

While dry herb vaping appears to reduce exposure to harmful combustion toxins compared to smoking cannabis, there is not enough research to definitively conclude that it is entirely safe or free from risks. The method offers potential advantages for reducing respiratory harm and improving THC delivery efficiency, but concerns about lung irritation, device safety, and long-term effects remain unresolved. More rigorous studies are needed—particularly longitudinal research—to clarify the health implications of this increasingly popular consumption method.
 
old-fart,

darbarikanada

Well-Known Member
call me naive, but I think that if there was a significant body of high-quality research implicating cannabis (not smoking) in health issues, it'd be front-page news. for now, the only area of real concern seems to be that heavy use during adolescence can cause long-term problems.
 

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
I'm also interested or wondering in how the negative impacts compare to eating too much sugar, animal fat, etc.... I'm probably doing more harm to my body with sweets/sugar and bacon/fried chicken than dhv and tinctures.

i didn't realize how addictive sugar is until i gave it up for 30 days. now i use sugar very sparingly - mainly to tamp down ketones if overstimulated.

i think animal fat is okay if well raised - grass fed, pastured, organic, no RNA, no GMO, etc. yes to butter/bacon/red meat/pork/ham/salmon/cod

no ultra processed anything. no seed oils.

takes about 8 years, with a lot of sweat, to excrete enough stored toxins to where vaping can be an effector.

just my experience after 77 years ... N of 1 study ... vaping for 25 years, still hitting max theoretical heart rate doing aerobics for 42 years.
 

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
My biggest concern is HDL. In 2022 is started to go down (36 from 44) and has stayed below 40 (35 currently). 40 is the lower end of the recommended range
what is your triglycerides? my HDL is 85 and my triglycerides are 45. vaping has had no impact - diet is the key.
 
Hippie Dickie,

vapirtoo

Well-Known Member
Lets not forget about genetics!
My grandfather died at 98 and he smoked Camels and drank hard liquor
to his dying day! He died at home as he wanted to, no drama.
I'm 72 and can still ride 30 miles in about two hours. I use weed as a motivator
to get on the bike.
I worry more about the fumes from Kennedy airport and all the surrounding highways
then my vaping.
 

zeebudz

Well-Known Member
Lets not forget about genetics!
My grandfather died at 98 and he smoked Camels and drank hard liquor
to his dying day! He died at home as he wanted to, no drama.
I'm 72 and can still ride 30 miles in about two hours. I use weed as a motivator
to get on the bike.
I worry more about the fumes from Kennedy airport and all the surrounding highways
then my vaping.
Yep, one of the best health strategies is to choose your parents wisely!
 
Top Bottom