A long-term study (published in JAMA Psychiatry) of nearly 1,000 New Zealanders (from birth to age 38) found no significant differences in overall health between cannabis smokers (who smoked for up to 20 years) and non-users, with one exception: gum disease.

Key Findings:

• The international research team assessed a dozen measures of physical health, including lung function, systemic inflammation and several measures of metabolic syndrome, including waist circumference, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, glucose control and body mass index.

• In contrast, the study found tobacco users not only had more gum disease, but reduced lung function, systemic inflammation and indicators of poorer metabolic health.

Read the study.